The Path He Took
by ItzRayz
Summary: .AU:PRIS. He was the perfect weapon to destroy Dark Specter with. Cold and emotionless, he was the perfect choice for this mission. They asked for help and he was sent to investigate. What he saw there changed his perspective indefinitely. AndrosAshley
1. Trust: Chapter 1

Never done a Power Ranger fiction before. I always liked this couple and decided to run with it using this plot.

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

* * *

In a distant time and place, the names of all that was good means absolutely nothing anymore. People live in fear and despair, wishing that a miracle would show itself. Now this is where our story takes place. Evil is battling for control of the universe, slowly succeeding as planets surrendered one by one. The planet Earth, an advanced technological planet where the human race resides was currently battling evil one-step at a time. Earth, known for its history of vanquishing evil, found itself to be the main target of a powerful evil force. 

People have come to know of this great evil as Dark Specter, the Grand Monarch of Evil. He has been trying for months to conquer Earth but there was one small problem standing between his forces and total domination, the Astro Rangers. They have been thorns at his side since the beginning of his invasion, successfully repelling him but now, it was all about to change.

---

"MS-201. The time has finally come." A mysterious voice spoke. The sounds of a cage door opened slowly and faint footsteps started to walk out slowly. The man looked around his surroundings, the same room where he spent the last few years. It was a dark and gloomy room, where light hardly entered. He walked up to the man who let him out.

"Sir." He saluted to the man in front of him. He had known the man almost his entire life. He was the only one who ever conversed with him, the one who saved him from the grasp of death, the one who gave him a new purpose to life.

"2 hours ago, we received a distress signal from the planet Earth. It seemed like their last line of defense is failing. The Astro Rangers…" The man chuckled a bit. "Aren't what they were rumored to be. It is finally our turn. Be prepared for launch in 5 minutes. You won't be coming back for a while soldier." With that, the man walked out, leaving the soldier alone.

---

"Zhane! We can't keep fighting any longer. We're all exhausted." TJ stated as he entered the Command Center.

"I know TJ, I know. I hate to admit it but they really got us this time." Zhane sighed as he stared into the viewing globe. He could see the other rangers falling back, trying to remove people from the danger area. "Call them back." TJ nodded and began pressing several buttons. Soon, flashes of black, pink and yellow were teleported back into the Command Center.

"We can't keep this up any longer Zhane. Isn't there anything we can do?" Cassie leaned against Ashley's shoulder, clearly worn out from the fight.

"Yeah man, we're taking a beating out there." Carlos commented. He could feel his body aching from the bruises.

Zhane sighed. "I know we're tired but I sent out a distress signal hours ago. All we can do is hope and pray that there are people out there who can come lend us a hand." The teens resumed to watch the viewing globe, as monsters continued their assault on the city.

It was a silent moment for the Astro Rangers. They were supposed to be the protectors of their city, the protectors of Earth but they failed. Failed to protect the people from the forces of evil. Each of the rangers was feeling regretful, as they stood by helpless, unable to do anything.

"Hey Cas?" Ashley asked softly.

"Hm…?" Cassie answered without turning around. She was feeling disgusted as she saw the monsters beginning to hunt down several civilians.

"Do you think we will make it through this nightmare?"

Cassie turned her head and smiled. "Without a doubt Ash." She squeezed her friend's shoulder, letting her know that everything was going to be all right.

---

"We will be arriving in Angel Grove in about 1 hour." An automatic voice responded.

The man abruptly woke up from his dreamless sleep. It was better this way; his dreams were always filled with nightmares. "Thank you." The man answered, feeling a bit lightheaded.

He stared out from the window of his ship. He could see the blue planet that was known as Earth. It was only a matter of time now before he met up with the enemy. The words of his mentor echoed through his head.

_Flashback_

"What is your mission soldier?" The man shouted at him.

"To destroy the forces of evil." He calmly replied.

"No!" The man punched him in the stomach. "I will ask you again, what is your mission?" He raised his voice this time.

"To eliminate and destroy Dark Specter and his forces." He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the pain. He couldn't show the man his weakness right now. It was something he can't afford to do.

"Correct soldier." The man kicked him in the ribs. "Do not forget it. You are our soldier, whose only purpose is to do what we say." The man left him lying on the ground, letting him recover slowly.

_Flashback End._

"My fight will soon begin." The man sat back and stared at the thing on his wrist. It was an unfamiliar feeling, the cold metal device attached to his wrist. He closed his eyes and began to mediate as he prepared himself for the upcoming battle.

---

Carlos paced back and forth, feeling restless. "We can't sit back and do nothing Zhane. They need us out there." He watched as the monsters demolished several buildings. "I'm going back out there." Carlos started to walk away, intending of joining the fight.

"Don't be a fool Carlos. Rushing out there without a plan is just plain suicide." Zhane put his hand on Carlos's shoulder. "I understand your feelings but…"

"We are rangers Zhane. We are supposed to protect them in trouble times." Behind him stood the rest of the rangers, determination clearly written across their face.

Zhane lowered his head in defeat, knowing that this was one verbal argument he wasn't going to win. "Okay fine but I'm going out too." He looked up with a smile on his face. "We're friends and friends always stick together." He stood along side with the other rangers, prepared for what could be their last battle.

---

"Take no prisoners my quantrons!" Crocotox shouted in a scaly voice. Human screams would be heard as the quantrons rampaged through the city, destroying everything in their path.

"Not this time Crocotox!" Several beams hit the monster, stopping it from advancing.

Crocotox sneered as he recognized his opponents. "Rangers… How nice of you to finally show up." He opened his mouth slightly and a beam shot out from it. The rangers rolled out of the way, dodging the beam. They stood in front of the monster and his army.

"Zhane, where is the other one? The reports showed two monsters." TJ whispered quietly. He looked around, trying to locate the other monster.

"I'm right here rangers!" Horror Bull emerged through the ground, catching the rangers by surprise.

"Take this!" Crocotox assaulted the rangers with another blast from its jaws. The rangers covered themselves with their hands, minimizing the damage taken but it left them wide open from an attack by Horror Bull. The bull like creature charged and speared the Yellow Ranger into an abandon warehouse.

"Get… OFF ME!" Ashley brought her fists down on the creature's head, causing it to drop her. Ashley rolled off to one side, buying time to catch her breath. She felt her ribs hurting but she couldn't let it bring her down. She ignored it and stood up, calling forth her weapon. "Star Slinger!" The weapon materialized in front of her. She felt a lot safer when she had her weapon out. She moved along side the wall quietly, trying to catch the monster by surprise.

"Gotcha!" A rough voice spoke through the darkness. Ashley literally felt her heart jump when she heard the creature's voice. The monster caught her by surprise, elbowing her in the stomach before flipping her over his back. Ashley landed in the middle of the warehouse, in a wide-open area with no place to hide.

---

"We have to save Ashley!" Cassie shouted over the fighting.

Zhane jumped over a fallen quantron but he was tackled back by some more quantrons. "Argh." The Silver Ranger landed on his back, feeling the force of that kick. "I'm trying Cas but it looks like Ashley would have to hold her on for a while."

The rangers looked around, completely surrounded by Quantrons. As the rangers looked on, they saw a sea of Quantrons, just waiting for their turn to battle the fallen rangers.

"We can't hold out much longer Zhane." Carlos shouted before running to support TJ.

---

As both forces battled on, a bright red object shined from the sky, catching everyone's attention. They watched as the red object slowly entered the atmosphere and finally hitting the ground, causing a loud explosion. The force of the impact shook everyone up, causing everyone to be momentarily distracted. From inside the warehouse, both Ashley and the creature heard the explosion, momentarily stopping their fight. Horror Bull came back to its senses and slashed Ashley across the chest with its mighty horns, sending the Yellow Ranger to the ground, causing her to demorph.

---

"MS-201. We have arrived at our destination." The man stepped out of the capsule, taking a look at his surroundings. He narrowed his eyes, the destruction before him was depressing. He felt his anger building up from inside him, his fists shaking from it. He banished his own thoughts from his head and began his mission. He heard the sounds of fighting coming from a nearby warehouse and rushed off to see what was going on.

---

Ashley slowly scooted back until she was hit a dead end. The creature slowly advanced towards her, intending of ending her life. "Cassie… TJ… Carlos… Zhane… Anyone… Please help me." Ashley cried out. She was trapped between a box and a monster with no way out. She felt tears forming in her eyes, unable to believe that she was going to die like this.

Horror Bull snorted through its nose as it stomped on the ground, getting closer and closer with each passing second. A red beam of light shot through the darkness, stopping the creature from going any further.

The mysterious figure leaped and grabbed the bull by its horn, dragging it away from the girl. Ashley watched as her savior wrestled with the bull, using nothing but brute strength. '_Who is this person?'_ She tried to get a good look at the person but all she could make out was the color red. '_Is he friend or foe?' _The person kneed the bull in the stomach and performed a smooth roundhouse kick to the head, sending the bull through the wall and out of the warehouse. The other rangers looked in surprise when they saw Horror Bull coming straight out of the warehouse and into Crocotox.

---

The mysterious figure slowly exited the warehouse, with Ashley walking behind him. He stopped in front of the warehouse, surprised by the sheer amount of Quantrons that was outside. He spotted the other rangers in the middle of the fight, taking a brutal beating from the sea of quantrons.

"Ashley!" Cassie shouted when she saw her friend standing next to the person in red. "Thank god your okay!"

"Is he another ranger?" TJ wondered. The person was dressed in the color red. Red was usually reserved for the leader, the one who has the courage to pull through any situation.

"I don't know guys but let's consider him an ally until we get out of this mess." Zhane spoke up. They were seriously outnumbered and they could use all the help they could get.

---

Both monsters growled, clearly showing their annoyance. "I wasn't informed that there would be another ranger!"

The bull only snorted, not caring. "Ranger shanger. I'll tear through him either way!"

Crocotox raised his arm, signaling the quantrons to focus fire on the intruder. "Fire!" The metallic army raised their weapons and fired a single beam that had enough power to wipe out a monster.

Ashley's eyes widened as she saw the beam coming straight at her. "Don't worry, you'll be safe." She heard the voice coming of her savior for the first time. The person didn't say it in a cocky heroic way. The voice said it in a safe, reassuring tone, as if everything was going to all right. The Red Ranger gently pushed Ashley behind him before he summoned his weapon. The man held out his right palm and gently said the name. "Spiral Saber."

Ashley stared at the weapon that materialized in his hands. It was beautifully crafted. As the beams came closer, the Red Ranger skillfully deflected the beams, reflecting the beams back to where it came from. The beams hit the monster dead on. The other watched in amazement as the Red Ranger began to move.

---

'_Left, right, duck.'_ The Red Ranger moved skillfully through the mass of quantrons, bringing each one down with a quick swipe from his saber. "You guys are not my target." He whispered into the air as he made his way towards the creatures. Pretty soon, the Red Ranger single handedly brought down about 55 percent of the quantrons. He quickly slashed another quantron and kicked himself into the air. "Spiral Saber - Whirlwind Slash." The Red Ranger shouted while in the air. He began to spin in air, causing blades of wind to emit from him and hitting the quantrons, eliminating them quickly.

The other rangers had already demorphed, feeling exhausted from the fight. The boys had their jaws dropped slightly as they watch this man single handedly wipe out the metallic army. "This guy is unbelievable." Carlos commented.

Ashley only nodded her head. She was very impressed with how fluid the guy moved.

Cassie saw her friend staring at the new ranger. "Earth to Ashley…" The Pink Ranger saw no response coming from her friend so she decided to poke her.

Ashley snapped back to reality when she felt several pokes to her ribs. "Hey cut that out." She swatted away the prying finger.

"He is amazing isn't he?"

Ashley just nodded. "Yeah…" She continued to watch the mysterious ranger in action, mesmerized by his actions.

---

"Just you and me now monsters." The Red Ranger stood in front of the monsters, clearly having the upper hand.

"There are two of us here and there's only one of you. Do you take us for fools?" Crocotox stepped forward, not intimidated by the ranger's action.

"Where is Dark Specter hiding?"

The croc sneered. "Don't you dare speak the lord's name. Only his loyal subjects may speak his name."

"I don't give a damn." The Red Ranger shot the reptilian creature with his blaster, sending him to the floor. "I'll ask you again. Where is Dark Specter hiding?" Horror Bull started to move forward but his movements were predicted. "Wrong answer." The Red Ranger fired several more shots at the monsters, keeping them at bay.

"It looks like you guys don't know either way. You're just wasting my time here." The Red Ranger began charging his saber, intending of ending the fight. "Spiral Saber - Red Cross!" He performed two quick strikes on the monsters chest, instantly destroying them. "Useless." He quietly whispered as he destroyed the two monsters.

---

The other rangers ran up to the lone ranger, impressed by the way he worked. Zhane walked behind the other rangers, taking his time to analyze their new ally. He saw a symbol on the Red Ranger's shoulder. It looked vaguely familiar. The shape of a cross. He saw it somewhere but couldn't put his finger on it.

Carlos and TJ patted their savior on the back. "Good job man. You totally kicked butt."

TJ put his hand on his shoulder. The Ranger immediately grabbed his hand and flipped him over, pointing the gun to his face. "What is your business here?"

"Woh, woh, we're all friends here." Carlos waved his hands, trying to show that they meant no harm. The Red Ranger slowly lowered his gun and started to walk away.

"Who are you?" Ashley spoke up, wanting the name of her hero. The red ranger continued to walk away, not answering her question.

"Hey! Didn't anyone teach you any manners? All she wanted to know was your name! Jerk!" Cassie shouted, angry that the man just walked away just like that.

"I know that symbol from somewhere…" Zhane muttered to himself. "Guys, lets go back. I need to confirm something."

* * *

End of Chapter 1. So what did you all think? 


	2. Trust: Chapter 2

Well just so you know, this chapter contains my first attempt to make some fluff. Don't hate me if I didn't get this right. Comments and feedback would be nice.

Disclaimer: I own the toys, not Power Rangers.

* * *

_At the Command Center_

"The Silver Cross." Zhane said as he pulled some information up on the monitor. "I knew I recognized it."

"What about it?" Ashley asked, interested. The events from before clearly still fresh in her mind. It was not everyday a knight in shining armor comes to her rescue.

"He is a soldier from the legion." Zhane commented as he continued to read off the screen.

"What is this legion?"

"We don't have much information about them because they are a secret organization. Most people don't even know that they exist. There have been a few cases throughout history where they actually presented themselves when people were in need of dire help. From the looks of it, they could pretty well be our saviors." Zhane sighed. "I don't know what he is doing here or if he is trying to help us but for the time being, we will treat him as an ally if he treats us as one."

"Yeah…" Ashley quietly added. She could still feel the comfort from that man. She was deep into thought that she failed to notice one of Cassie's famous teasing sessions.

"Ashley's in love." Cassie sang out, enjoying the opportunity to tease her friend. Everyone started laughing as they watched Ashley blushed.

"Cassie! I am not!" She lightly smacked her friend on the arm.

"Quit teasing her Cassie and let's head over to the Surf Shack. I could use a drink." TJ said as he pulled Cassie to one side. Ashley silently thanked him. "Maybe we could see her Red Ranger there as well." He quickly added, starting the laughter once more.

Ashley groaned as she teleported along with her friends.

- - -

Andros walked around the city, with no destination in mind. He was just admiring the scenery, or what was left of it.

"Did you see what happened to downtown Angel Grove?" Someone asked as they passed Andros. His companion next to him just nodded his head. "Thank god that Power Rangers were on the case."

'_Angel Grove. So that's the name of this place.'_ Andros pondered for a minute in his mind while wondering.

.As he walked down the block, he saw the area covered in rumble but that did not seem to discourage these humans. Odd bunch of people, continued with their everyday lives as if they had something to look forward to.

'_Foolish earthlings. When Dark Specter sets his sight on something, he will most likely succeed.'_ Andros thought to himself. He knew first hand from the destructive power of Dark Specter's force. It was truly something to be afraid of.

'_Surf Shack?'_ Andros stared at the sign strangely. His curiosity got the better of him and walked inside, surprised to see what was in there.

Inside this building, there was a gathering of people, people his age and maybe a little bit older, just sitting around and having fun. '_I guess even earthlings need a place to relax.'_ He humorously thought to himself. He walked past a couple of tables and found himself staring at a green table with a couple of balls on it.

- - -

"Ahh. Nothing like a good chocolate smoothie after a hard battle." Carlos burped as he quickly chugged down his drink. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners Carlos?" Cassie retorted. "And for your information, it was the Red Ranger that did all the work; you guys just stood there and watch."

"Low blow Cassie. Low Blow." Zhane mockingly replied as he pretended to cover his heart and fall over. The others laughed at his antics. Zhane was always funny one and he was the unofficial leader of this group as well.

Cassie could not help but notice that Ashley was spacing out during their little joke. "Earth to Ashley." She began poking at her sides and then stop. It felt like déjà vu all over again.

"So what are you staring at Ashley?" She quietly whispered in her ears. The guys were too busy cracking up jokes to be paying any attention to them.

It didn't take long for Cassie to follow her friend's gaze. Her eyes landed near the billiards area, with a guy. Cassie blinked her eyes, checking her vision. There was an extremely cute guy standing there, staring at the pool table as if it was a foreign object. "Go help the poor guy out Ashley." Cassie nudged her friend, knowing her response all too well.

"I don't think he's having trouble Cassie." Ashley replied. In truth she was too shy to just walk up to a guy and initiate a conversation. She doesn't know how Cassie does it so well but she rather fight Horror Bull all over again before she walked up to him.

"I know you think he's cute, the guy dressed in a black tee-shirt with a red dress shirt. You have been staring at him since he walked in. Why don't you just go up to him and introduce yourself? You fight monsters everyday and this. This you can't do?"

Ashley giggled, knowing that defending their city was a lot harder than this. The truth still remains, she never done this before and she always had guys coming up to her. They were always interested in her body, never her. That was one of the reasons why she was still single. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her shaking nerves. "Alright fine. I'll go but not because I think he's cute but to prove you wrong."

"Whatever girlfriend." Cassie laughed; it was about time Ashley took some initiative. She was starting to wonder if Ashley was interested in guys at all.

Ashley slowly got up from her seat, taking a deep breath before making her way over to the guy.

As she walked closer and closer, she felt her heart pounding against her chest. '_Maybe I should just turn back.'_ She shook that idea off. Cassie would never let her hear the end of it.

As her feet brought her to her destination, she suddenly found the tiles on the floor really interesting. "Hello." Ashley managed to stumble out.

- - -

"Hello."

Andros looked up, breaking his concentration with the strange table. He barely heard the whisper. He found a girl standing before him, staring at the floor for some unknown reason. "Um. Hi?" Andros found himself greeting her back. He didn't know why but for some reason, this girl looked very familiar. He couldn't put his finger on it.

Ashley looked up, surprised to see him answering her back. She found herself staring into his eyes. Brown eyes meeting Brown eyes but they were somewhat different from hers. His eyes showed suffering, pain and layers of secrecy. Andros broke off eye contact when he found himself mesmerize by her eyes.

Ashley blushed a little when she saw him staring at her. "Hi. My name is Ashley. What's yours?" She shyly asked before holding out her hand, secretly hoping that she wouldn't make a fool out of herself.

Andros was taken back by her question; no one ever asked him for his name. To others he was known as MS-201, the weapon that was created to defeat Dark Specter. He was raised with no friends, no emotions, to be a perfect machine that only followed orders. He also had another name, Andros… A name he vaguely remembered from his dreams, his dreams before the nightmares took over. It was a warm, soothing voice that kept saying his name over and over. It was that dream, that name that kept him from losing the last of his humanity. It was the last piece of him that was remotely human. "Andros." He found himself saying. He didn't know why but he felt compelled to tell this girl his name. She gave him that sense of serenity. He stared at her weird hand gesture before mimicking it.

The moment they touched, they began to daze out, each feeling the connection between the touch.

'_Andros…'_ Ashley found herself repeating that name in her head, feeling how that name just stayed in her head.

It was minutes before the either one spoke, each just staring at each other, lost in their own worlds. He quickly let go of her hands before quietly apologizing. Andros felt his heart rate increasing as he saw her eyes exploring his body. '_Why am I feeling so nervous around this girl?'_ Andros had plenty of training before but this was a new experience before. He felt his face turning a little red as he watched her eyes travel around his body. Andros quickly shook those thoughts out of his head.

Ashley didn't know why her eyes were exploring him all over. One minute, she was staring into his eyes and then the next; they were traveling all over his body, his _tone _body. She couldn't help but to notice it. She quickly looked away, blushing. "I haven't seen you before." She quickly spoke up, trying to change the subject.

Andros raised his eyebrow. "I-I mean like in town." She blushed even more, knowing that he caught her red handed.

"I just arrived in town a couple of days ago." Andros replied. That wasn't the truth nor was it a lie. He didn't feel the need to tell her the entire truth. His mission was far more important than this. He cannot afford to jeopardize it because of his own mistakes.

"Uh so do you know how to play pool?" Ashley walked over to the pool table, setting everything up.

"Is that what this is called?" Andros answered. He stared at the strange stick. Why would earthlings use a weapon for recreational purpose? He held the stick in his hands, feeling the smooth surface. "Do I use this to thing to smack the balls?" He held the stick up, like he was trying to swat the object away.

Ashley giggled. This was the first time she seen someone act like this. He had a sincere expression on his face, as if he was just a child being introduced to a new toy. "No silly. This is how you hold it." She demonstrated how to hold the stick for him, giggling until he got it right.

Andros felt his face turn a little red each time the girl giggled. He tried his best to mimic her technique, taking three tries before finally getting it right.

Just as Andros was about to start the game, he felt a little buzzing coming from his pockets. Andros slowly released the stick, setting it gently on the table. He knew what that meant. Each time that thing vibrated in his pockets, it would mean that it picked up a monster signature. "I'm sorry but I have to go Ashley." He walked up to her, thanking her for teaching him.

"Oh. Okay." Ashley answered. She was disappointed with the fact that he had to go. "Will I see you again?" She hesitantly asked. She was secretly hoping that he would say yes. She looked down at the floor again, waiting for his answer.

"Sure." Andros answered. "I'll be back here tomorrow."

She felt herself giggling like a schoolgirl when he answered yes. She looked up and smiled at him, just enjoying the moment between them.

Andros continued to feel the device still buzzing, alerting him that trouble was nearby. He started walking away but stopped at the entrance. He turned around and saw Ashley waving her hand at him. He gave her a little smile before returning the wave.

---

Ashley watched as the man she just met leave, not before stopping to take one last look at her. She gave him a little wave before watching him go. She felt her morpher beeping before hurrying back to rejoin the others. "Had a fun time Ashley?" Cassie asked, immediately jumping to her left side, grinning.

"He was so cute Cas." Ashley blurted out. She couldn't contain her excitement. She just had to tell Cassie how it went.

"Some other time ladies." Zhane spoke up. "We have to go."

- - -

"Ah the infamous MS-201. We finally meet at last." Darkonda mockily said. "I always wanted to fight a soldier trained by the legendary legion."

"I'll save you the time so why don't you tell me where Dark Specter is hiding?" Andros coldly retorted. He recognize these two from the pictures. They were generals that Dark Specter personally allowed to handle his army.

"Insolent ranger. You should know your place!" Ecliptor sneered as he charged in. He had heard rumors of this legion as well and this was his chance to finally test his skills against him. Andros successfully summoned his saber and blocked the incoming slash. The two exchange blows, none landing any successful attacks.

Andros parried the blow, allowing the sword to harmlessly slide off his saber. He quickly whirled around the blade and successfully caught him in an upward slash, sending Ecliptor staggering back. Ecliptor groaned from the slash and found the saber by his neck. "You lost." Andros coldly answered. "Tell me what you know and I might spare you."

"Never let your guard down." Darkonda shouted as he released a blast from his fingers, hitting the Red Ranger on the chest. Ecliptor took this chance to launch a surprise attack on him, hitting him several times with his sword.

Andros was sent spiraling to the floor, caught by surprise from the attacks. He could feel his chest screaming from the pain but he ignored it. He had a job to do. He slightly scooted back as he watched the two generals closing in on him. Darkonda was laughing as he was preparing another blast while Ecliptor was swing his sword around, daring him to get up.

"Freeze!" Several voices shouted, interrupting their fight.

"Looks like your friends are here." Darkonda chuckled. "No matter. I will destroy all of you today."

"Are you okay?" TJ asked when they arrived on the scene.

"I'm fine." Andros retorted as he pushed TJ out of his way.

"Hey man, what is your problem?" Carlos stood in front of Andros, demanding an answer. "We're only trying to help."

"This is my fight, not yours."

Carlos stood there, unfazed by his comment. He was not budging from this spot. This guy was as stubborn as a mule.

"You can't fight alone. Let us help you." Cassie stepped in front of him, trying to make him understand the situation.

"That's right. You can't win this alone." Ashley said as she stood next to Cassie.

Zhane sighed. They really don't understand the situation. Standing up to probably the strongest ranger here, they must be crazy but thankfully, he was crazy as well. "Whether you like it or not, we have to fight as one." He added his two cents in.

Andros gritted his teeth; they were surely testing his patience. These imbeciles, they were lecturing him about teamwork when the enemy was right in front of them. He raised his saber at them. "I don't have time for these childish games. Now move." He demanded.

"We're still here rangers!" Darkonda and Ecliptor both shouted as they focused their energies and fired as one. The beam combined into one, forming a huge blast.

Andros watched as they released their destructive energy; it contained enough power to level an entire city block. The other rangers looked in surprise as they saw a beam of light coming towards them. Carlos and Zhane immediately jumped away to safety. TJ grabbed Cassie and jumped to one side, missing the beam. Ashley grabbed Andros his by arms, trying to lift him up. "Idiot. You should have ran!" Andros shouted at her.

He could have safely dodged the beam but this person here decided to be an idiot and play hero. This is how fools die everyday; they die believing what they are doing is heroic. Those fools, there is no bravery for the dead, once you die, it's all over.

Andros suddenly shoved her back, now standing in front of her, standing between the beam and the Yellow Ranger. He didn't know why but his body just moved automatically. He could have cared less if this ranger died or not but he couldn't let himself do it. Maybe it was part of his training or maybe it was his instinct. He didn't know but right now, he only had one chance to defect the attack.

Ashley looked at the man in shock, the man who she was trying to save and somehow, he ended up trying to save her again. "Why? Why would you do this for me?" Andros couldn't answer her; he was too busy concentrating on the beam.

"MOVE!" Andros shouted, snapping Ashley back into reality and jumped away while Andros sighed with relief. He felt his mind feeling at ease when the Yellow Ranger moved out of the way. He pushed the beam back with all his might but felt himself slipping, his power falling rapidly as he pushed the beam back. He felt his saber slipping and felt that attack hit him hard. Ashley watched in horror as the Red Ranger fell to the floor, lying on the ground, barely conscious.

Darkonda and Ecliptor laughed. "Let's finish him!" Darkonda slapped Ecliptor on the back, delighted that they were finally going to destroy the rangers.

"Astro Blaster! Full Power!" The other rangers shouted, getting in a direct attack, successfully knocking them back. Ecliptor held on to his chest, feeling the pain getting to him. "You haven't won yet rangers." Ecliptor staggered forward, intending of finishing the fight. Suddenly beams of light shot down from the skies, hitting Darkonda and Ecliptor. "Next time rangers. Next time!" The villains shouted as they disappeared.

Ashley stared at the Red Ranger, his hand still holding on to his weapon, trying to pull himself up. He slowly got up, only to fall down again. Her heart aching from the pain of watching him. It was her fault that he was like this.

Andros felt his chest burning, feeling heavy all of the sudden. His body was screaming from the pain but he ignored it. He must leave this place before his identify was revealed.

He was still in an open area; he can't afford to abort his mission now. He still had a score to settle with them, it wasn't over yet. His body finally dropped to the floor, darkness consuming him once more.

Ashley was at his side immediately. She demorphed and tended to her fallen hero. She couldn't help but think of Andros when she lifted up his head, gently putting it on her lap, trying to make him comfortable. '_No Ashley. You shouldn't be thinking about him right now.'_ She was in for a shock when the person she was tending to suddenly demorphed, leaving his identify exposed. Ashley's eyes widened, her hands suddenly covering her mouth. "Oh my god." She stared at her savior, recognizing him. "Andros…"

* * *

So what did you think? Yes? No?


	3. Trust: Chapter 3

Woo. An update. Won't be long now. Thanks for the reviews for last chapter guys. Really appreciate it.

* * *

"Did you see these results?" 

"No. Are they interesting?"

Voices. There were voices outside his subconscious.

They were always there. This time, these voices seemed unfamiliar to him.

Andros slowly opened his eyes, taking his time to study his new environment. It didn't take him long to figure out that he was in some sort of a hospital room. The pale colors gave it all away. He lifted his hands up slowly, noticing that he wasn't even secured.

"Wow." A man let out a low whistle, obviously impressed with his results. "Is he even human? Bone fractures, bruises. He has it all during his lifetime."

'_Amateurs.'_ Andros thought to himself. His eyes followed the trail of unknown voices to two males standing away from him. A dark male, probably about 6' about 180 pounds and the other, a tan male, about 5'10 and around the same weight as well. They were holding a clipboard, probably his records. Before Andros could analyze them even more, the tan man was about to make his way over here. Andros closed his eyes, timing his opportunity just right.

Carlos took the chart back from TJ, Impressed by this guy's human physique. These Legion people certainly knew how to train people but failed in the humanity's department. He wouldn't trade anything in the world to be in his spot right now. He checked his watch. 8:15 PM. It was time to check his so-called "Patient's" pulse.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty, time to check your pulse." Carlos said, chuckling at his own little joke. He put his finger on Andros's neck, feeling for a pulse.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a tiny hand movement but waved it off as a reflex. A strong grip suddenly found their way onto his wrist, catching the young ranger by surprise. What Carlos saw was something he wished he didn't. He found himself staring into the cold dull eyes of the Legion Soldier.

---

TJ was in the back, resting against a chair when he heard a moan before the sound of a body dropping to the floor. He quickly ran towards the door, surprised to find Carlos lying on the floor unconscious. "What the heck?" The next thing TJ knew, he was forcefully shoved against the wall, surprised at the man in front of him. It wasn't long before he too blacked out.

Andros released his arm from TJ's neck, letting the unconscious man drop to the floor. He looked around, trying to find his clothes and his morpher. This was a reason why he hated hospitals. They never leave your stuff in one place. He searched TJ's pocket, hoping to find something useful. He smiled when he pulled out a keycard. His ticket to leave this place.

_In the other part of the Command Center_

"Ashley? Are you okay?" Silence. Her best friend gave her no sort of response. "Earth to Ashley." Cassie tried again, this time poking her on the ribs.

Ashley suddenly snapped out of her daydream and looked at Cassie. "I'm sorry. I was distracted. What did you say?"

Cassie smiled, knowing what was going on in her friend's mind. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. TJ and Carlos are currently monitoring his situation. If anything comes up, they'll let us know."

Ashley slowly forced a smile on her face. "Yeah…" It was her fault that he was hurt. It was her fault that he was lying there unconscious in the first place. If she didn't rush in there and be a hero, he would probably have been fine.

"Did you girls see his report?" Zhane shouted from across the Command Center.

"No." Both girls shouted back.

Zhane grinned. "Come over here. You have to read this." He waved the papers in the air, taunting them with some kind of secret.

"I swear Zhane; if this is about his lower areas I'm going to kill you!" Cassie threatened.

"Who me? Never." Zhane sported a mock hurt expression on his face, trying to gain sympathy from the Pink Ranger.

"Please Zhane. You know it takes more than that to get you hurt." Cassie replied as she swiped the papers from Zhane's hands. Ashley peaked over Cassie's shoulder, a bit curious herself.

Their eyes both widened at the same time, shocked at what they're reading. "Fracture ribs that healed on their own, fractures in both his arms and feet that also healed on their own. He has broken almost 200 bones in his body and somehow miraculously still survived to this day." Zhane recited from memory. "Wait that wasn't even the best part." He waited until he had both of their attention. This was truly the best part.

The girls were listening intently, hanging on to every part of his words. "He's alive." The girls expression dropped, going from anticipation to being duped. They were expecting something more dramatic but this was Zhane they were talking about here.

Zhane smiled. "Aren't you glad Ashley?"

He didn't get the type of response he hoped for. Instead, he started running out of the room, avoiding cups and bowls that were being thrown at him. "Hey! I was being nice!" Zhane shouted back.

The girls took slow breaths, calming themselves down. "That felt good." Cassie spoke up; a big smile appeared on her face.

"Cassie!" Ashley had a shock expression on her face, surprised that she joined in as well.

"You may tell me no but your face tells me you had a great time."

Ashley couldn't help but giggle as well. "Well. He probably deserves it."

Cassie nodded her head as she picked up the chart once more. "How can he survive like this? It's inhuman."

Ashley bit her lip. She saw the injuries that he had and now she just made him add another one.

Cassie saw the look on her friend's face and couldn't help but sigh. She knew Ashley was blaming herself for his injuries but she has to move past this part. Andros probably didn't even blame her for his injuries.

"Ashley, you know he's going to be okay right? He's from _The_ Legion. The famous soldier. He's going to be just fine." She put her hand on Ashley's shoulder, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay.

"Ashley, Cassie. Come quick to the infirmary." Zhane's voice beeped out from their communicator.

They noticed the urgency in his tone of voice and instantly went to the infirmary, the stunt that he just pulled momentarily forgotten.

Cassie and Ashley ran into the infirmary, fearing for the worst. When they got there, what they saw surprised them even more. Zhane was kneeling besides TJ and Carlos, who were starting to come around. "What happen?" Cassie asked, looking around.

"Where is he?" Ashley spoke up, interrupting Zhane's response.

"Andros isn't here." TJ let out a small groan, his head still hurting. "He knocked us both out and escaped." He put his hand on his head, trying to soothe his headache.

"Rangers. A monster is attacking Angel Grove Beach." A computerized voice spoke through the system, alerting the team.

Zhane looked at his other two members, deciding whether or not they were capable of fighting. "You guys up for it?"

TJ and Carlos both reluctantly nodded their head. "Good. Let's rocket!"

_Angel Grove Beach_

"So the rumors are true. You really are here MS-201." Mamamite sneered. "It's about time you got here. My son was getting bored."

Andros stood there, ignoring the monsters while searching for a particular person. "Where is Ecliptor?"

"You will not disrespect my mother!" Termitus yelled out. He jumped into battle, going one on one with Andros.

Andros ducked under from a haymaker swing and countered, kneeing the monster in the stomach. He quickly threw the monster to one side and walked closer to Mamamite. "I'll ask you again. Where is he?"

"You have bigger worries than Ecliptor right now." Termitus got back up and shot a laser beam from his eyes, aiming for Andros. Andros held his palm out and summoned his weapon, successfully diverting the attack.

Termitus rushed in again but Andros was too quick for him. He landed three successful strikes on the monster's chest, sending him to the ground. Mamamite immediately jumped in, trying to save her son. "No one does that to my son!" She tried slashing with her claws but Andros sidestepped the weak attack, performing an upward slash on the monster's chest, sending her to the ground as well.

"You are not even the main course. I'm just wasting my time here." Andros coldly stated.

The other rangers arrived at the beach just in time to see Andros standing over the two fallen monsters. "Should we help him?" Carlos asked.

"Which of them do we help? Him or the monsters?" TJ replied, not really sure if they should jump in.

Andros didn't notice the other rangers, holding up his weapon to finish the job. "Spiral -" Before Andros could finish that sentence, an attack struck his weapon, knocking it out of his hand. He turned his head and his glare intensified. "What do you think your doing?" He demanded.

Zhane held on to his blaster tightly. "This is not how we deal with monsters. We are rangers, not cold-blooded killers."

Andros laughed at the Silver Ranger's comment. "You know nothing about me. All you have is bits and pieces of the puzzle. You don't know enough of it to fully judge me." He walked past the monsters and picked up his weapon. "You guys are rangers. I'm a soldier. We are from completely different worlds."

He turned around, his back to the other rangers. His attention was focused on the monsters who were starting to run away. "Spiral Saber - Red Cross!" He executed his move, successfully destroying the monsters without a second doubt.

The other rangers, surprised at his behavior quickly demorphed. "HEY! Did you not hear a word I just said?" Zhane got in front of Andros, determined to make him listen. Andros started to walk away, ignoring the man. He had a job to do and he was wasting time here.

"I got a bone to pick with you!" Carlos quickly grabbed the Red Ranger's arm, stopping him from walking any further. "This is for what you did to me in the hospital!" He threw a right hook aimed for the ranger's face.

Andros saw that punch coming and easily avoided the punch. He countered by flipping Carlos over, throwing the man on the sand. He quickly pulled out his blaster and pointed it to Carlos's chest. "Don't ever touch me." Andros stated, his voice laced with authority. He was about to shoot off a warning shot when Ashley appeared in front of Carlos, blocking his shot.

"You can't!" Ashley said, holding her arms out. "I won't let you!"

Andros was taken by surprised to see her do something rash like this. "Move or I'll shoot you as well." He really did not want to do this but sacrifices must be made for the greater good.

"No." Ashley retorted stubbornly.

"Ashley move!" Carlos shouted. He didn't want her to be involved in this. It was a battle between men, his pride on the line.

Andros lifted his arm a little bit higher, his blaster pointing at Ashley's chest. "Do you intend of dying for him?" He questioned.

"If I have to, then yes." She replied. She knew that was Andros under the helmet but there was something different him. He wasn't the same cute and shy guy that she met at the Surf Spot. This one was completely different. It was as if he had no soul, someone who just lived as a tool.

Andros fired a shot at her feet, missing her intentionally. "Consider this a warning. I'm here to do a job. Get in my way and you will end up like those monsters." He put his blaster away and walked off, leaving the rangers alone.

Ashley slumped down to the floor, her knees feeling weak. Cassie ran to her friend's side, concern written across her face. "Ashley! Are you insane? He could have killed you!"

Ashley slowly shook her head. "I don't know Cassie… There was something of Andros in there." She had to find out what's wrong with him. There was no way a guy like that could have different personalities. She shuddered at the memory of Andros shooting her, his cold voice echoing through her mind.

"The next time you do that, please give us a warning so we know when to jump in." Zhane answered as he help Carlos get up from the sand.

Ashley only nodded her head in response. She was already scheming away on how to find out more about her knight in red armor.

* * *

I wonder what Ashley's going to do now? o.o. As always, feedback is always appreciated. 


	4. Trust: Chapter 4

I find myself lost in thought as I think about this couple. It's just so perfect... Sorry. I'm just ranting here. Enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Ashley walked around the place briskly, her eyes on the lookout for a particular someone.

'_Come on. Where are you?'_ She thought to herself. _'You have to show yourself sooner or later.'_

As she kept her eyes focused on the crowd, she could feel her heart flicking between hope and loss. It has been two days since she last saw him and with each passing day, it felt like if a part of her was slowly disappearing. There was just something about that him that she couldn't get out of her mind. He had the answers that she was searching for and she wasn't going to give up until she found him.

"Andros…" She found herself muttering his name. That man was so mysterious and stubborn. She wondered if all the soldiers from the legion were like him.

Ashley sighed. For the past two days, she has been to several tourist places, hoping that Andros would show up there but no such luck. "So far, I checked the library, the town square and the mall. If you're not here…" Then another idea suddenly hit her. "Duh Ashley." Slapping herself lightly on the head. "He must be somewhere quiet and isolated from everyone else."

_30 minutes later_

"The abandon district in Angel Grove…" Ashley whispered the name out loud. It was a long shot coming here but her conscious was telling her that her search for Andros should begin here.

Angel Grove Machinery District, once a populated place with workers and a happy environment but since the attack, factories have shut down and no one was willing to risk their lives by working here. This was also the place where she first saw him.

Where she was saved by him.

Where she first heard his kind and gentle voice.

As she walked into an abandoned warehouse, she looked around. Nothing but crates and dust all around. Just as she was about to turn around, she heard footsteps coming closer and closer. She quickly hid behind a crate, waiting to see who it was.

- - -

'_Home sweet home.'_ Andros sarcastically said to himself. Home was for people who had a family. He never known his and never known the feeling that the word brought. He had rescue family members in the past, others but never his own.

He grew up in the legion, the coldest and harsh place to ever exist. It wasn't because he hated the place. No. It was just the opposite. It was the only place that took him in when he was alone. A place where he learned the means to survive.

Andros lightly touched his chest area, feeling a slight discomfort whenever he thought about this subject.

For years, he questioned himself about his identity, wondering who he was. He never dared to bring up the subject to his superior. It only resulted in a harsh beating which quickly reminded him that he was only MS-201, a soldier for the legion. A soldier without a soul.

Andros walked past several crates, not noticing that there was a person hiding behind one of them as he was too engrossed with his own thoughts.

He walked to the middle of his so called home and sat down on the floor. He released a deep breath as he leaned against a crate, waiting for this mission to be over. This has been his life ever since he arrived here. A broken down crate that he used as a bed rest and some canned earthling food. Those were his survival tools. Things that he needed to survive.

Andros suddenly heard a crate fall over and was up on his feet, his eyes wandering around.

"Whose there?"

- - -

Ashley held her breath as Andros walked past her. She felt her heart beating faster and faster as her eyes soaked in every detail of the man. She finally found him after two days of searching.

She watched him sat down in the middle, wondering why he was here. She observed for a few minutes before her elbow brushed itself against something, causing the crate that was hiding her to fall over.

Her eyes widened as she watch it fall to the ground, causing a loud noise.

"Whose there?" Andros called out.

'_Great job Ashley.'_ She mentally told herself. Knowing that she was caught, she slowly walked out from behind the crate.

"Um… Hi." She waved her arm around neverously. She could feel his eyes staring at her and her face started to turn red, embarrassed to be caught like this.

- - -

Andros sighed in relief that it was only her. He sat back down on the floor, ignoring her wave. "What are you doing here?"

Ashley casually walked over, carefully avoiding the crate. "I um…" She didn't know how to answer his question. If she truthfully answered him, would he go crazy and attack her or will he just leave again. "I came to see you." Her mouth quickly answered, not giving her mind time to think of a better response.

As she continued to walk over, she noticed that Andros didn't respond so she took it as a sign to continue. "What are you doing here?"

Andros shrugged. "This is my home."

Ashley took this chance to approach him before sitting down next to him. "Your home?"

She looked around. She didn't see a bed or even a blanket around. Surely, he was kidding with her.

"I don't see anything here." Ashley said. "Where do you sleep?"

"You're leaning against it." Andros replied.

Ashley turned her head, shocked to see that he sleeps against a broken crate. "Andros…"

"Why are you here?" Andros asked again. Everyone has a motive for doing something. He didn't believe that she came all the way here just to see him.

"I was worried about you." Ashley answered. Ever since he escaped from their hospital ward, she was worried about his wounds. No human could have ever lived with all those injuries but here he was; still walking. Still fighting.

"I'm fine. I'm sure there are better things to worry about than just one person." Andros spoke up, his voice deprived of all emotions.

"Your family must be worried about you…"

"I'm an orphan." He answered.

"Oh Andros…" Ashley whispered out. That was all she managed to get out. She was actually at a loss of words for this man. "What about the legion? Aren't they like your family?" She refused to believe that there was not one person in his life that he would consider family.

"The legion was a place that kept me from being sold into slavery. They took me in and trained me to be a soldier." Andros answered, his voice still deprived.

Ashley found herself staring into his eyes, her heart aching as she listened to every word he was saying.

Andros saw the look in Ashley's eyes. A look that he refused to accept. Pity. He was never shown sympathy before and he was never going to need it. He survived to this on his own and he will continue to do so.

"I don't need your pity." Andros coldly said.

"Andros… You can't live here! It's not safe." Ashley answered back. "You can stay in my apartment with me."

Andros suddenly stood up and started to walk away. "I grew up without anyone caring for me. No one was ever there to look after me. That's how it was and it will continue to be that way."

Before he could take another step, he felt an arm holding him back. He turned his head and saw Ashley staring at him intently. "Doesn't it get lonely at night when you're by yourself?"

She stared into his eyes, the eyes that held all his emotions and worries. "Isn't it about time that someone cared for you?"

Ashley slowly lowered her hand until she was sure she was holding on to his hand. She could feel the roughness of his hand and her heart cringed, knowing that this man had probably seen things that would make others sick.

It was about time that someone showed this soldier that there was more to life than just an empty battlefield and she was the person to do it.

* * *

Authors Note: I like to thank the people who are leaving me reviews. It's a joy to read them and I'm glad that some of you are liking my story so far. I finished up with one of my stories and is free to frequently update this one. 


	5. Trust: Chapter 5

A couple of days late for this release. Sorry. I had stuff to finish. Enjoy.

* * *

"_The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." _

- General Douglas MacArthur 

- - -

"There's more to life than just being a soldier. Isn't it about time that you learn about the other side of life?" Ashley quietly spoke up. She was afraid that she said something insulting to him when she saw him tense up.

"I'm anything but normal." Andros muttered softly under his breath. He knew deep down inside of him that he could never be normal. Being a soldier was all he knew.

Ashley smiled and squeezed his hand. "Take a walk with me?"

Andros stared at the girl dumbfoundly until he realized that she was still holding on to his hand. "Why are you holding onto my hand?" The soldier asked.

Ashley found Andros staring at her and blushed. She quickly released his hand and turned around, feeling the temperature on her face rising as she felt his eyes continuing to watch her.

Taking a second to regain her demeanor, she turned back around while fighting furiously to keep her blush down. "It's … um… a gesture that a person would show when they care about someone." Ashley explained rather quickly. The blush was making its way back up to her face as Andros continued to stare. Luckily for her, the soldier didn't press on and dropped the subject.

"Will you take a walk with me?" Ashley asked once more. She silently hoped that his answer would be yes. She wanted to spend more time with him and maybe get him to open up to her.

"No." He bluntly replied. Andros sat back down and leaned against his makeshift bed, no interest in mingling with earthlings.

"Oh… Are you sure?" Ashley asked again. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice but she quickly covered it up. "It'll be a lot of fun!" She tilted her head in front of his face, blocking his view of anything else.

"I have other stuff that I need to do." Andros spoke up.

"Like what?" Ashley asked, a smile appearing on her face.

"Training."

"Come on please? I'm sure even you find training boring. Just a quick walk. Please?" Ashley asked, giving him famous her puppy-eyes.

Andros sighed as he thought it over. If he gave up an hour of his time, maybe this girl would leave him alone. He needed to stay focus on the mission. With each passing day, Dark Specter's army is getting bigger and bigger. Time was of the essence here. He couldn't afford to waste any more time.

As he left his thoughts, he found himself staring into Ashley's eyes.

Those innocent brown eyes of hers.

He cursed the day he stared into them. There was no way he could say no now.

It was those damn eyes of hers.

They should be declared a lethal weapon.

"Fine." Andros reluctantly answered.

Ashley felt herself smiling even more when she heard his answer. "You won't regret this. Trust me." Before he had a chance to protest, she quickly grabbed his hand and dragged him away.

_20 minutes later_

"Where are we going again?" Andros asked once more. He was confused with all the places that Ashley had pointed out to him. He was never good with remembering places. The only time he had to remember places was when he was on a mission. The rest of the time, he wouldn't be out here like this. He could be preparing for his next mission.

"Downtown Angel Grove." Ashley answered, a big smile appearing on her face. "You're going to love it here. There's so much to do."

Ashley walked ahead and pointed to different shops, telling the soldier what they had in there. Andros couldn't help but to stare at the girl in front of him. There was something about her that made her stand out from the rest. Any person could immediately tell that she was having fun doing this but he was anything but normal. He couldn't believe that she was this enthusiastic with just showing him around. If he had to show her around the base, he would have been bored.

"Andros! Hey are you listening to me?" Ashley pouted, trying to look angry. Her mock anger soon melted away when she noticed the innocent look that Andros had on his face. She couldn't suppress the smile on her face. It brought a warm feeling to her heart to see him like this. As she recalled the times she saw Andros, he was always so serious.

She watched as Andros slowly looked around his environment, carefully studying everything. Outside that cold and serious shell of his, he was just like a little boy who was experiencing Christmas for the first time. '_He's a cute little boy too.'_ Ashley added. She couldn't help but giggle at her own thought.

As she looked into his eyes, she could see a spark of happiness but it was gone with a blink, returning those eyes back to their regular cold look. She wondered if he even knew how to have fun.

Just as Ashley began to walk towards Andros, a man abruptly bumped into her and ran away. Ashley, taken by surprise tripped over her own feet and began to fall face first to the ground. She closed her eyes and waited to embrace the pain that would follow. '_Odd. The ground feels too soft.'_ Ashley thought to herself. As she slowly opened her eyes, she found herself in Andros's arms. She blushed as she found him staring at her intently.

"Are you hurt?" Andros asked. He quickly glanced over her and decided that she was just shaken up and not in any peril danger.

"N-No." Ashley stuttered. She checked herself arms to see if they were bruised. Her eyes widened when she realized that that man just took her purse. "My purse. He took my purse."

Without wasting another second, Andros ran off, leaving Ashley surprised but her ranger instincts kicked in and began to follow.

The man ran at full speed, snickering at the deed that he just committed. "Haha. Ignorant woman." He checked the bag and noticed that it was a very exclusive bag as well. "It could be worth a few hundred in the market." As he turned his head to see if there were any followers but to his bad luck, it was that guy again. The one with the girl and he was gaining fast. Very fast.

"Damn it." The man grunted as he began to run around in different directions. "Why do all the pretty ones always have an athletic boyfriend?"

Andros immediately caught up with the man with ease. The look of surprise on the man's face instantly told him that he was the one he was searching for. Noticing that the bag was tightly secured in the man's hand, he increased his speed once more.

The chase continued for a good 5 minutes before the thief ran into a dead end, tired and out of breath. "Gotta quit smoking them cigarettes."

Andros slowly walked into the alley; positive that there was nowhere else the man could have gone. "I want that returned now." Andros pointed to the bag, his eyes staring at the man.

The thief smirked. "Don't be a hero now pretty boy." He pulled out a knife from his pockets and waved it around. "I hate to mess up that pretty face of yours."

Ashley gasped for air as she finally saw Andros turning a right into a dead-end. "They finally stopped running. Thank god." She quickly ran after Andros, hoping that he wouldn't be hurt badly.

"Hero? You're gravely mistaken. I'm anything but a hero." She heard him speak up. She waited outside, not wanting to interfere with this fight.

"Oh? A fellow criminal then?"

Andros took a step closer, his eyes staring dangerously at the man. "No. I'm here to clean up the trash."

Out of fear, the thief quickly lunged for Andros. The knife aimed straight for his face.

"Andros!" Ashley screamed when she saw Andros staring at the incoming knife.

The soldier expertly stepped to the side and twisted the thief's arm, forcing him to drop the knife safely to the ground. Andros reversed the position and slammed the thief into the wall, causing the man to moan in pain. "He-Here man. Just take the bag." The thief managed to speak out.

Andros didn't say anything as he took the bag back but he didn't stop there. He forcefully rammed his knee into the man's stomach, causing him to buckle over. He continued with another punch to the man's face; successfully in knocking him straight back into the wall.

Ashley's eyes widened as she saw the assault continue. She quickly ran over to his side and put her arms around him his waist, begging him to stop. "Please… Stop. He had enough…" She whimpered out.

"You would let this man walk away unpunished?" Andros asked. His eyes not leaving the thief for a moment.

"He already suffered enough. Please… Just let it go." Ashley looked up, tears appearing around her eyes. She heard Andros sigh and she could feel his muscles relaxing. "Could we please go?"

Andros turned around and heard her small plead. "Okay." He took Ashley's hand in his and left the alley but not without one last glance behind him.

'_No crime is too big or too small to be ignored. If we ignore them, it will only lead to more crimes that will ultimately breed more unnecessary evil. As a soldier from the legion, you cannot and will not stand for this. You are the one who passes judgment on evil. Remember it well MS-201.'_ A man's voice echoed in Andros's head, reminding him once more of who he was. He wasn't a civilian. He wasn't even an earthling. He was a soldier whose only purpose was to serve his commander. Nothing more, nothing less...

"Andros…?" Ashley spoke up, her voice interrupting him from his thoughts. He stopped walking and noticed that he was still holding on to her hand.

"Thank you for what you did back there…" She looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"It is not a problem." He answered before releasing her hand and walked away.

Ashley stood there watching his retreating figure, her thoughts lingering back to the moment when she was in Andros's strong arms. A feint blush appeared on her cheeks as she thought about it. Her eyes widened when she realized that she was standing alone here. "Andross! We're not done yet!" She quickly ran after the soldier before he strayed too far on his own.

* * *

Authors Note: Well, I must say. I think I'm borderlining Fluffyness here. I spent the last day or so reading nothing but fluffy oneshots of cloud and tifa. Let's hope that didnt affect anything. 

Anyway. To answer your question Invisabell. This story is leaning towards one point and that's to save Earth from Dark Specter. I'm just progressing slowly because it's my first time of actually doing a romance story and I seen the works of Phantom Rogue, SweetSas, AH/AS, Star, Brainwave and others. They dont seem to be rushing into it much so I'm going to slowly advance with the plot.

Now to the next topic. The thanksgiving one-shot. There will be one more chapter release this weekend before a very nice Thanksgiving chapter. It will have nothing to do with the story except make all you readers feel all warm inside. It'll be fun. I promise.

Thanks to people that left me reviews. Had a great time reading them. I'll try to keep my author notes short from now on.


	6. Trust: Chapter 6

Still alive, that I am. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and I loved the reviews I got. Sorry I couldn't reply to all but I was extremely busy with finals and stuff. Anyway. Here's the next chapter.

_

* * *

_

_Ashley shook her head furiously, unable to believe the events playing out in front of her. She could hear her body gasping for oxygen, the heavy breathing noises that she was producing._

_She watched helplessly as Andros battled Darkonda and Ecliptor alone. She winced as Andros took a double cross slash from both of them, causing Andros to fly across the field and rolling against the ground. With superhuman effort, the soldier managed to pull himself back up. _

"_Andros!" She heard herself cry out. "Don't!" She was yelling with all her might to tell him to run away but her voice fell on deaf ears. She tried to run to his side but she couldn't move. "Zhane! TJ! Carlos! Let me go!" She desperately begged but their grip on her only tightened. "He needs our help. Please… go and help him…"_

_No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't break free. Tears began to fall from her eyes as the monsters continued their merciless beating on Andros. One by one, they took turn attacking him; showing him absolutely no mercy. _

_When they were about to deliver the final blow, their swords stopped right above his head. Ashley felt relief washing over here until another figure, shrouded in darkness appeared in front of Andros. The figure had a scepter with the shape of a diamond on top. "ANDROS!" She desperately shouted once more but it had no effect._

_As the figure raised the scepter, preparing to deliver the final blow. Ashley demorphed, surprising her captors and ran off, using her diversion as a chance to run to Andros._

_She ran as fast as she could but the distance between her and Andros only increased as she ran closer. Her eyes widened as the mysterious figure lowered the weapon. _

Slowly

Slowly

Until it reached Andros. 

"_NOOOO!" She screamed out._

Ashley woke up in cold sweat, her heart pounding against her chest. She drew her covers closer to her shivering body, the memory of the nightmare still fresh in her mind. "Andros…" She faintly whispered to herself.

She turned her head and looked outside, it was a dark and gloomy day. The forecast calling for low sixties and a forty percent chance of rain showers. She groaned as she looked at the clock. 7:27 AM. She had a couple more hours before she met up with Cassie for lunch. With a reluctant sigh, Ashley somehow managed to drift off once more.

- - -

"Ashley, over here!"

Ashley heard someone calling her name and looked around, finally spotting Cassie.

"I thought you forgot about our lunch date." Cassie teased.

"Me?" Ashley laughed. "I wouldn't dream of missing this."

Today was just another session of their weekly girls only luncheon. They would choose a different restaurant every week and sit down to do what girls do best. Gossip. There were good food, good sights, and good gossip. Life was good. This also served as a break for the girls. Fighting and defending their city from monsters was no easy task.

"So Ashley, you missed a perfect candid camera moment yesterday. Zhane slipping on three banana peels. His expression was just priceless. TJ and Carlos must have planned the joke extensively." Cassie started laughing as the mental pictures appeared in her mind one by one. "You have been spending quite some time on your own lately. Enlightening me, what did you do yesterday?" Cassie asked.

"Nothing much." Ashley quickly answered while sipping on some water.

"Nothing you say?" Cassie stared her best friend. "Or did this nothing involve your little hunt for Andros?"

Ashley chocked on her water, surprised at the inquisition. "I did not go on a hunt for Andros."

"Then what's with that little smirk on your lips?" Cassie inquired.

Ashley quickly covered her mouth and noticed that her lips were indeed smiling. '_Get down!'_ She mentally scolded herself.

"Spill it."

"Well Cassie, if you must know. He was a gentleman." Ashley answered, putting on a sophisticated tone. "We had a walk around downtown Angel Grove before he walked me home."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "In other words, you acted like a fool in front of him."

"Cassie!" Ashley assumed a mock tone as she hit her friend. "For your information. I did not entirely act like a fool. I only acted like one for a little bit." A tint of blush appeared on Ashley's face.

"So you slipped when he tried to kiss you?" Cassie guessed which caused Ashley to gag slightly on her food. "Hm… From the way you chocked, I guess that isn't the case."

Ashley glared at her friend before resuming eating her appetizer. This week, they have chosen to eat at a little Italian restaurant just ten minutes away from Ashley's apartment. If they had chosen to eat Chinese, Cassie wouldn't have been safe from the attack of the spring rolls.

Just as the girls were about to move on to the next topic, a little beeping noise rang, alerting them of trouble. Cassie carefully pressed the button, allowing the communication to go through. "Go ahead."

"Trouble at the park. We need you here." TJ's voice echoed through the communicator.

"On it." Cassie replied.

As if on cue, the ladies both got up but not without leaving some money on the table with a good amount for tip.

"Think it'll be enough?" Ashley asked

Cassie shrugged. "If not. I left your address just incase."

- - -

_Angel Grove Park_

As soon as the girls entered the park, they looked around slowly. "Where is everyone?"

Without any warning, an army of quantrons appeared in front of them. Ashley groaned. "Had to open your mouth huh Cassie?"

The girls quickly morphed and jumped into battle, taking on as many quantrons as they can. "Where are the guys?" Ashley shouted over the midst of battle.

Cassie performed a leg sweep before flipping backwards. She spun around and held out her hand. "Satellite Stunner!" She jumped up and fired at a group, turning them back into scraps of metal. "I don't know." The Pink Ranger shouted back.

The quantrons successfully separated the girls away from each other. Ashley noticed a dark figure flying towards Cassie and shouted, "Cassie duck!"

Cassie blocked a kick and turned around. "What?" She shouted back but received the warning too late. A bat like figured slashed its claws across Cassie's chest, sending her to the ground.

"Cassie!"

The bat-like creature returned once more for another strike but before it could strike again, it took a direct hit to the chest, sending it crashing into a nearby tree.

Cassie sighed with relief as she saw the monster drop to the ground. "Get up. I won't save you a second time." A deep voice spoke up behind her.

The Pink Ranger struggled to her feet, still dazed from the attack. When she finally faced her savior, she was shocked to say the least. "Andros?"

The soldier didn't bother acknowledging her as he walked closer to the monster. "Where is Dark Specter hiding?" He lifted the creature up. "You have until the count of 3 to tell me." He held his weapon at the monster's neck.

Ashley finished the round of quantrons before making her way towards Cassie. "You alright?"

Cassie nodded. "Yeah but where are the guys?"

Batarax stared at the Red Ranger, his red eyes beginning to glow. "Wouldn't you like to know puny ranger?" The monster cryptically answered.

Before Andros could fire his blaster, a flash of silver tackled him to the ground and away from the monster.

Andros threw his attacker away from him and was back on his feet quickly. He couldn't hide his surprise when he saw who it was. "Fool! Do you have any idea what you just done?"

The Silver Ranger made no movement of speaking, only threw his weapon and charged head on. Andros stepped back and parried the attack. What he didn't expect was two more coming from behind him.

Darkonda and Ecliptor immediately jumped into battle. "Your time is up Red Ranger!" The two quickly unleashed a fury of attacks, each hitting the soldier hard.

Cassie and Ashley ran to support Andros but before they could get any closer, The Black and Blue Rangers stepped into their paths with their weapons raised towards them. "Now is not the time for jokes." Cassie rushed towards them but when she jumped forward, Carlos appeared in front of her and performed a roundhouse kick, sending her spiraling at Ashley.

"No such luck rangers." Batarax spoke up. "Your friends are under my control now." The monster raised his hand and the rangers stepped up. "Capture them and let them watch." With a snap of its fingers, the Blue and Black Ranger ran towards them, catching them by surprise.

Not before long, they were held captive against their will. Batarax walked back and forth, a creepy smile on its face. "Now rangers… Watch as we destroy the infamous Red Ranger!" He laughed out loud.

The girls watched helplessly as they saw the onslaught that Andros was receiving. Zhane charged up his Silverizer and ran forward. Andros saw it coming and quickly summoned his own weapon, blocking the attack momentarily.

What the soldier didn't see was that he left himself wide open. Ecliptor waved his hand across his mighty blade before unleashing his attack. "Dark Eclipse!" The attack hit both rangers, sending them across the ground. Just as the Silver Ranger got up, he was knocked away by Darkonda. "I have no more use for you." The general stated. He brutally kicked Zhane away, leaving him unconscious on the ground.

"Now Red Ranger… You have been a nuisance in our plans. It's time we ended our little game."

Just before Darkonda brought his blade down, the sky turned dark and lightning struck the ground, stopping everyone.

Ashley gasped. This was just like her dream. The very dream where she foresaw Andros's death. She bit her lips as she continued to struggle. "Cassie!" She hissed.

Cassie shook her head, feeling the pain wash over her body. "What is it?"

"We have to break free."

"How?"

"Like this!" Ashley rammed her elbow into TJ's ribs, causing the ranger to buckle over. Cassie followed suit and began to disable her captor. "Sorry Carlos." She whispered out an apology.

"Now it's just you Batarax."

- - -

Andros let out a small groan as Darkonda picked him up roughly. "Get up you worthless piece of garbage. You are in the presence of our princess!"

Andros slowly focused his eyes but blinked a couple of times to adjust. He watched as a figure walked out from the darkness, holding onto a scepter.

"So the spoiled Princess of Darkness finally shows up. I was wondering when you would stop hiding."

Darkonda smacked him across the chest, causing Andros to tumble on the ground. "Insolent bug. You will speak to her with respect!"

Before Darkonda could do more harm, the figure held up her arms. "Enough. I want to see his face before I destroy him."

"As you wish." Darkonda bowed and grabbed Andros while Ecliptor charged up his sword once more. "Payback hurts doesn't it?" Ecliptor said as he slashed Andros.

His actions caused Andros to demorph, battered and bruised everywhere. The generals forcefully held him up, forcing him to look straight ahead.

"You know, for a soldier of the legion. You are quite weak." The princess taunted. "I thought you soldiers were supposed to be tough. I got a better fight from chasing rats around."

She paced back and forth in front of Andros, her eyes analyzing the soldier in front of her. "Seriously. You're not even a thorn in my sides." She picked up her scepter and held it out menacingly. "Any last words soldier boy?"

- - -

"Stand still!" Batarax screamed out. The monster was having difficulty catching the rangers because they continued to hide in trees.

"What's the matter? The big bad monster afraid of trees?" Cassie taunted.

Batarax shot beams all over the place, screaming once more when he failed to hit his target. "Laugh now rangers but when the Red Ranger is six feet under, I will have the last laugh!"

Cassie looked behind Batarax and saw that the monster wasn't bragging. "Ashley GO!" She urged. "I'll handle this bat freak myself."

Ashley hesitated, uncertain about the choice. "Go!" Cassie yelled out, clearing up her hesitation. "Right just hold him for a bit longer." The Yellow Ranger yelled back.

- - -

"Yeah I got a couple for you..." Andros calmly stated. "Astronema. The Princess of Evil."

Astronema narrowed her eyes. "So you heard of me. Then you know that your life is going to end right now petty soldier."

Andros only chuckled. "You underestimate the legion and for that, you'll pay." Andros suddenly tugged on his wrists before a bright light engulfed the area. Darkonda and Ecliptor let out a small cry as they were force to release Andros.

Astronema shielded her eyes from the light. '_What is this fool doing?'_ She held her scepter tightly, anticipating all attacks. When the light died out, there stood Andros, proudly in his Ranger form with the spiral saber hanging loosely against his shoulders.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Andros shot off towards Astronema while her generals were still dazed.

"Fools! Get him!" Astronema hastily shouted. Her generals shook themselves out of their daze and got behind Andros, weapons preparing to strike him down.

"Oh no you don't!" Ashley flung her star slinger forward, firing as many shots as she can. The volley hit their targets, sending Darkonda and Ecliptor tumbling to the ground.

"Like I said, _princess_. You have information that I want!" Andros lunge forward but Astronema was quick on her feet. She blocked the sword strike and slid her scepter towards the soldier, aiming to disable him quickly.

"Don't insult me with your useless attacks. Didn't Dark Specter warn you about me?" Andros stopped her weapon with his knee and jumped over her. "I'm not someone you want to mess around with." He coldly answered.

Andros got behind her and cross his arms. "**Spiral Saber - Multi Slash!**"

The result caused the Princess of Evil to fly backwards, her generals somehow catching her. She wiped the dirt off her cheeks. "Next time Red Ranger, it's personal." With a snap of her fingers, her army of darkness disappeared, leaving the rangers to fight another day.

Ashley walked up to Andros and touched his shoulders. "Hey… Are you okay?"

Andros winced from the touch but ignored his throbbing pain. "I'm fine."

"Hey Ashley!" Cassie shouted happily. She had her arms around a still dazed Carlos and TJ but otherwise, they were all fine.

"Hey." Ashley shouted back. Just when she turned her attention back to Andros, he was already gone.

Zhane slowly walked over to his friends, his hand rubbing the side of his head. "Oh… What hit me?" He asked.

"I believe not what but who hit you." Ashley answered. "And I believe you fighting Andros to the death was not the best way of leaving an impression."

Zhane's eyes widened. "I… fought him?" He looked around, looking for some reassurance. "Did I win?"

Ashley and Cassie shook their heads. "Nope." They happily answered.

Zhane paled. "I hope he isn't the one to hold a grudge."

The group enjoyed another laugh as they left the battlefield. Unknown to them, a soldier was standing near the trees, his eyes watching a particular someone.

* * *

Authors Note: Next chapter should be up by thursday or friday. Depending on my mood. 


	7. Trust: Chapter 7

Second chapter in a week. Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

_"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place..."_

_- Lance Armstrong_

By the time Andros hauled himself back to his makeshift home, his injuries seem to have grown more severe with each passing step. "I shouldn't have executed that last attack." He mentally scolded himself while clutching his ribs.

As soon as he found saw the wooden crate that he called a bed, he let his body hit the floor, his back leaning against the crate. An exasperated lungful of air escaped his body. "I'm getting soft…" His hand slightly touched the wounded area, his eye wincing as his body responded with pain.

The soldier was used to pain, especially coming back from a hard mission. Every mission he accepted so far, he always came back with broken bones or bruises. There was never a mission where he was just a peaceful observer. He was always the one dissolving the situation.

Andros reached for the medical box on top of the crate. The box tipped over and created a loud sound as it hit the floor. He let out a small sigh as he shifted his body over to pick up the mess. The medical box wasn't something special. It was just some home remedies that he picked up from one of his missions. Inside the medical kit was an herbal cream that seems to do wonders with bruises.

He stifled a groan as he tried to take off his jacket. He inhaled several times before reattempting. With one fluid motion, he took it off successfully but not before releasing a small groan of pain. He could see a smudge of red appearing on his jacket. Blood. The essence of all living things. He had seen all kinds of blood; red, green, black. It didn't matter anymore. He was used to it all.

Andros started to rummage through his medical kit for any bandages. Just as he found a small roll, the sound of footsteps diverted his attention. He panicked for a second, thinking it was Astronema back to finish their fight. He quickly scooted over and away from view, his hands tightly gripping his morpher.

- - -

Ashley was never the type of girl to go chasing after a boy. It wasn't in her personality but here she was, chasing after a cold hearted, emotionless soldier. There was this nagging feeling in her heart, telling her to come after him. "Look at what you did to me Andros…" She quietly muttered. Whom was she convincing? Certainly not herself. Deep down inside, she knew she had to come after Andros. She tried so many times to keep her mind occupied and away from him but somehow, someway; he always found a way into her mind.

As she walked into the warehouse, a small smile crept across her face. She could feel a more homey feeling to this place. It was if someone went through the trouble of rearranging the crates so there was an actual path. When she arrived at the center of the warehouse, she half-expected Andros to be doing something crazy like training but she hoped Andros was better than that.

"Andros?" Ashley called out when she didn't see anyone. With a quick glance around, she saw a small assembly of a medical kit and quickly put the pieces together.

"Andros. It's just me. Ashley." She called out once more.

Andros slowly walked into her line of sight and dropped to the floor, unable to stand any longer.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you." Ashley stared at his wounds and bit her lips slightly. She watched as Andros attempted to put bandages on himself but was failing miserably. "Here… Let me do that for you."

She was at his side without another word, already making herself comfortable on the floor. Andros stared at the girl in front of her, wondering why she was here. He quickly regained his senses and swatted away her hand. "I can do it myself." He said, not looking at her.

Ashley had a look of surprise on her face but then narrowed her eyes. "Don't be stubborn here. You obliviously can't do it yourself so let me help you." She grabbed the bandages away from his hand and put on a small victory smirk.

"Give me that." Andros growled. He was in no mood to play.

"Not until you give me that arm of yours." Ashley said teasingly.

Andros narrowed his eyes before taking a deep breath. This was going to hurt him more than her. Just as Ashley was about to blink, he quickly struck his left hand out, barely distracting her eyes while using his injured right arm to knock the bandages away from her hand. When it was in the air, he quickly grabbed it with his left arm and smirked. "I like it this way better."

Ashley stared at him with disbelief. "Whaa- How?"

"Pain tolerance." Andros replied while ripping off some more bandages. He grunted as he tied it around his biceps.

"I sometimes forget that you're a soldier." Ashley reached forward and saw Andros hesitating. "I'm not going to hurt you Andros…" She said in a gentle voice.

Andros watched her carefully as she scooted closer to him. As soon as her fingers made contact with his arm, there was a brief tingling feeling before a calm sensational feeling erupting from his body. It wasn't the usual feeling of pain or anger. This was something new and he rather… enjoyed it.

Ashley felt herself holding on to her breath when her fingers touched his arm. There was this warm feeling washing over here. She turned her attention back to the situation and took off the bandaged before putting it on appropriately. She looked up and saw Andros staring at her intently. She couldn't help but feel a small blush coming on her cheeks.

"Andros?"

"What?"

"I need you to hand me some of that cream." Ashley pointed towards the floor.

"Don't need it. I'll be fine."

"Andros. You can't be serious here. Look at the size of that bruise!" Ashley made her point by lifting up the sleeve.

Andros rolled his eyes. "Don't be so surprised. I'm sure you seen my medical history before. I'll be fine." He proceeded to roll down his sleeve but found that Ashley was refusing to move her hand. "Move."

Ashley shook her head. "No Andros. If we don't treat it, it could lead to an infection."

"Why are you so concerned about a tiny infection? I'm not your leader or something. Just a soldier with a mission. Heck, you could be doing something else instead of wasting your time here. I'm sure you have better things to do like hanging out with your ranger friends."

As she watched him talk, she actually saw some signs of emotions stirring from within Andros. She saw the pain behind those eyes of his. She saw the hurt, the betrayal and most importantly, the loneliness that he kept bottled up.

Ashley took his hands into her own and smiled. "I'm here because I want to be here… I am here because… I'm worried about you. I'm sure there are people who would be sad if you suddenly went missing."

Andros had to laugh at that. It was just amusing. He saw the strange look that Ashley was giving him. "I'm a soldier with no past Ashley. The only future I have for me is death." He could feel Ashley tightening her grip on his hands. "The legion taught us to survive on our own. We have comrades. Not friends. We were taught that we would always be alone, that way, if anything happens, we will carry on the ideals of the legion within us."

"But…"

Andros put a finger to Ashley's lips, silencing her. "I survived hundreds of battles since I could walk. When you were little, you were taught about things that a normal child would learn. I, on the other hand, was surrounded by the scent of blood and death. It was to be strong or accept death."

Ashley felt her heart responding to every word that Andros said. It filled her with sorrow that someone like him actually lived like this. It seemed somewhat pathetic when they compared their situation on earth to his. It seemed somewhat trivial.

"I… I didn't know Andros…"

Andros watched her for a few more seconds before remembering his wounds. They didn't seem to hurt as much anymore. Was it because of this girl? Or was it because of something else? He didn't know. He had other things to worry about. He moved his arm down and was about to take off his shirt when he realized that he wasn't the only one in the room.

"Um… could you turn around?"

"Why?" Ashley inquired, not realizing what Andros was about to do.

"Is it polite to change in the company of others?" Andros calmly stated.

Ashley quickly turned around, mentally yelling at herself for not realizing it any sooner. She didn't want to make a fool out of herself in front of Andros. He had opened this much to her and she wasn't going to let this go to waste. There was something more to Andros than just this. There was also this indescribable feeling when she touched his arm before.

She heard a small grunt and turned around to see if Andros needed any assistance. What she did not prepare herself for was an almost naked Andros sitting in front of her without a shirt on. Her jaw dropped slightly as her eyes began to roam all around his body. The well tone chest, the abs, the toned muscles… She could go on and on but she rather not. Her eyes soon fell on the scars that were on his body, wondering where he received them.

"Did you get these scars… from battle?" She quietly asked.

Andros nodded as he applied some cream to his ribs. "Just some reminders…" He didn't even finish his sentence when he felt a warm slender touch on his chest. Ashley slowly drew herself closer, her finger tracing the outline of a scar. Andros quivered from her touch but he didn't stop her. He found herself staring into her eyes and then time stood still for the soldier.

Was this what he was missing in his life? The idea of having someone that believed in him? Someone to turn to when he was down and depressed? Was he missing his significant other? There were too many questions but too little answers.

Ashley regained her senses and found Andros staring at her intently. The same kind of intensity that made her heart flutter. It was just a difficult feeling to describe but by the way her body was reacting to him, she knew it was something more than just a simple crush. She had an urge to just taste those lips of his…

She slowly leaned in, her head coming closer and she titled her head slightly. She saw Andros responding and that made her feel somewhat excited and nervous at the same time. She closed her eyes and continued to lean forward, slowly until their lips made contact.

Just as they were about to kiss, Ashley's cell phone started to vibrate, destroying the mood that the both of them have created. They quickly opened their eyes and backed away, a blush appearing on each of their faces. Ashley quickly turned around and answered her cell phone, somewhat angry at the horrible timing.

Andros suddenly found himself interested in knowing the ingredients to this cream. What was he thinking about kissing that girl? He knew better than that. Was it just the spur of the moment or did he really like this girl? Sure, she made him feel different from any other girl that he met but there was just something about her.

He heard her muffle something on her cell phone and he could tell that she was somewhat disappointed. Did she want the kiss to happen? Did she like him? So many questions were going through his mind at this second.

"I'll be back soon! No you cant know where I am. Stop asking!" Ashley quickly spoke into the phone. She glared at the evil thing in her hands. She was debating whether she should just smash this thing or face Andros…

"Um." Andros coughed up, getting her attention.

Ashley turned around, her eyes staring at the ground. "Hm...?" She couldn't look at him right now. Not after what they were about to do. It would just be too awkward. In her mind, she could picture herself kissing him passionately but ugh! What horrible timing. She wondered what would have happened if they actually kissed.

"I kind of need my hand back." Andros pointed out.

She looked down and saw that she was playing around with his hand and quickly let go. Since when did she grab it? Was it in the middle of her idiotic thoughts that she grabbed his hand?

Ashley mumbled an apology and was about to get up when Andros suddenly stopped her, catching her wrist. She had a surprised look on her face as she turned around. "Andros…?"

"Would… um…" He paused for a second, wondering what was the best way of continuing this sentence. "You like to take a walk?"

Ashley blinked a couple of times before his words registered. "A walk in the park?" She quietly repeated, making sure that she wasn't hearing things.

"If you don't want to. That's okay. I'll go back to my own business."

"No!" Ashley answered rather quickly. "No. I mean yes. I would love to take a walk with you. Do you have any place in mind?"

Andros only nodded. "I got the perfect place in mind."

* * *

Author's Note: So what did you guys think? I wonder where Andros is going? Will he ever complete his mission? and is he mad at Zhane? That and more in following chapters. 


	8. Trust: Chapter 8

Well I'm glad you all liked the previous chapters. It was kind of difficult writing that romance scene since I'm a guy and it's er... yeah. Anyway. Thanks for the reviews. Things will start to pick up next chapter. Happy Holidays.

* * *

_The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart. _

- Unknown Author

- - -

"Andros…" Ashley spoke up. "Are we there yet?" She asked.

Andros only smiled when his eyes darted to the path in front of him. "Hang on… We're almost there."

Ashley pouted, "That's what you said three minutes ago."

He let out a small chuckle. "And I'll keep saying that until we get there."

Ashley felt a small giggle escape her lips but she continued with her little game. "Then I'm taking off this blindfold." She declared. Let's see what he would do next!

"Then I'll let go of your hand and you won't see the surprise."

If she wasn't in her blindfold, she would have seen the huge smirk on his face but somehow, she could feel him smirking even under this blindfold. She tried her hardest to glare at him with her eyes but it was somewhat difficult to do under the cloth.

Before they left, he made her wear this blindfold and she reluctantly agreed only if he would hold her hand along the way.

Andros looked at her suspiciously, wondering why she would ask that. Ashley stifled a small giggle. Andros could be the best soldier but when it came to relationships, he could be so dense and she wouldn't have it any other way.

She heard Andros mutter something incoherent before she left his warmth leaving her hands. "Andros?"

There were no background noises, only the sound of a comforting breeze. "Andros?" Ashley nervously called out once more.

She was getting nervous here. Who wouldn't? Being blindfolded and being led into a solitude area was not exactly a great way to show someone appreciation. Her heart started to beat faster and faster when she caught the sound of movement from behind her. Even though she was a ranger, she was a woman first.

"We're here." Andros finally spoke up, his voice hinting some sort of amusement.

Ashley held her breath when she felt Andros reaching for the blindfold. She didn't know what to expect with Andros. He could have brought her here as a trap, to lure her in but Andros wasn't like this. She trusted him with her whole heart. She closed her eyes tightly as the blindfold slowly came off.

"Open your eyes Ashley…" Andros said softly.

When Ashley opened her eyes, the sight that stood before here simply took her breath away.

"Oh… wow…" She couldn't get the words out, it was simply just too beautiful to describe.

"Are you going to stand there admiring or would you like a tour?"

Ashley nodded her head, accepting the invitation. "I have never seen these in Angel Grove before Andros… What are they?"

"These are what people refer to as Cherry or Sakura Blossoms. In other countries, these trees are held in the highest regard because of their beauty. Some people believe that Cherry Blossom symbolize feminine beauty."

Andros held out his hand, inviting Ashley to venture further into the garden. She happily accepted and the two slowly walked in.

"The blossom of the tree symbolizes life." Andros stopped in the middle of the path, standing between two trees. He reached up and plucked an unopened blossom from the branch. "This is a late blossom but I bet that when this blooms, it will be the most beautiful of them all."

He let Ashley slowly wander around, a smile on her face as she explored the garden filled with Cherry Blossoms. The sound of her laughter filled his heart and a smile slowly graced his face.

"Andros! Look!" Ashley excitedly shouted out. She pointed towards one of the trees and petals started to fall down and she began to twirl, giggling each time. Ashley held out her arms, urging Andros to join her.

Andros politely declined. He enjoyed the view from where he was. Ashley pouted and then pulled on his arm, making him join her. "Sometimes you have to let go and just go with the flow." She spun him around and when he fell to the ground, she fell on top of him, both laughing as they fell.

"So when re you going to tell me about how you found this place?" Ashley asked as her head slowly found a comfortable spot on his shoulder.

Andros pondered for a bit. "It was when I first arrived on Earth and after the battle, I was walking around, trying to get used to my surroundings. A bunch of stuff happened and with many twists and turns, I ended up here." He lazily answered.

Ashley let out a small laugh as she played with his fingers. "So what made you think that I would like this place?" She tilted her head sideways, her attention now focused on him.

"I figure you would enjoy the scenery and the flowers." He answered. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I look at those trees, I do not see a pile of lumber; I see nature at its finest. Just like when I see you… I do not see the Yellow Ranger. I see Ashley Hammond, the girl who cares deeply for the people around her."

Ashley felt her cheeks blushing. "When did you become so corny Andros?" She spoke up, her eyes now staring at their intertwined hands.

"Corny? I was only stating the truth."

If life wasn't hard already, Ashley found herself blushing even more. Who knew Andros was a poet at heart. Maybe soldiers and warriors do develop a poet's soul once they fought enough battles.

The two sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company. They both knew that in the future, they wouldn't have any other days to enjoy each other's company. Between fighting monsters and saving the world, there is only so much time left for yourself.

"Andros?"

"Yeah?" Andros replied as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Were you ever in love?" Ashley asked in a quiet voice.

"Ever what?"

"In love."

Andros shook his head. "I didn't really had time for love. Never stayed long enough to know the natives. I heard stories from people about falling in love and what a wonderful feeling it is but those stories usually contain two normal civilian people. I wasn't a civilian so I never did care about them."

"What about your parents Andros?"

Andros shook his head again. "I was an orphan that was raised to be a weapon Ashley. They can't afford for the weapon to suddenly fall in love. It was just against protocol."

Ashley bit her lip, trying to make this feeling in her heart go away. It was just too much to bear, seeing Andros like this. "Did… I mean do you ever think you'll fall in love?"

Andros honestly was caught off guard with this question. He didn't think she would ask him. He sighed. "Love isn't exactly an option with me Ashley. I don't even know how love is supposed to feel like."

Ashley suddenly sat up, a sad look in her eyes. "You aren't supposed to know when you fall in love Andros… It is suppose to be a feeling that comes from deep inside of you. Love is a feeling that's hard to put into words. My parents describe it as a bond between two people but I see love as a feeling that connects two people together. Like soul mates."

"Soul mates…? Do you think I'll ever fall in love?"

Ashley let out a small laugh as she stuck out her tongue. "I can't tell you that Andros. That's for you to find out."

Andros only nodded, if he understood what she was trying to say. Love… his commanding officers would have beaten him to the ground for asking such a ridiculous question. They didn't even show compassion when he was back home. He would be lucky if they gave him a day off. Maybe Ashley was right. Love had to be discovered by oneself.

"What are you thinking about Andros?" Ashley asked out loud when she saw Andros spacing out. She often wondered what went on in the mind of that soldier of hers. Maybe it's about the memories he's burdened to live with or possibly thinking about the future…

"Nothing." The soldier replied as he stretched his arm upward. Ashley didn't bother to question it as her eyes followed where his hands went, curious to see where it was going. Andros slowly reached towards one of the lower branches, pulling off a small blossom.

He brought it back down for the both of them to admire.

"It's so pretty." Ashley commented.

Andros had a smile on his face as he brought the flower closer to Ashley's hair. She held her breath as she watched his hand stop in front of her face. She could feel his hand gently brushing aside her hair, making room for the white flower.

"So how do I Look?" She asked when he finished putting the flower in her hair. She could see the affectionate look on his face as he concentrated on putting the flower in place. She wished she had a camera for this moment but it didn't matter. This was going to be one moment she'll never forget.

"Beautiful." Andros answered without thinking. Ashley smiled back as she leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thank you Andros…" She whispered into his ear. Her hand was slightly against his chest and she could feel his heart pounding against his chest.

The two finally got up from the ground, seeing as how the sun was about to set, meaning that it was time for Ashley to go home. Andros was the first one to get up, offering his hand for Ashley, which she happily accepted. The two of them slowly left the garden, cherry blossoms blowing around them as they left.

"Thanks for showing me this place Andros. I won't forget it."

The soldier shook his head. "I wanted to share this place with you. Beauty like this shouldn't be kept a secret. It should be shared with people close to you."

"So… this is our special place from now on right?" Ashley asked. "You will always be here when I need you?"

Andros nodded. "Yeah. I'll always be here for you Ashley."

"Do you promise?" She asked, looking at him with innocent eyes.

"Yeah… I promise."

"Great!" Ashley happily answered. She lopped her arm around his as they continued walking. She didn't care how long it took them to make it back to civilization but that didn't matter to her. As long as she was with him, she had all the time in the world. '_I wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world.'_ She thought to herself as she rested her head on his shoulder as they walked.

Andros saw Ashley leaning on him and he found himself smiling. There was this feeling in his heart now and maybe, just maybe, this was the feeling he was missing. His senses suddenly went on high alert, something was coming and he could feel it. His eyes quickly looked around, wondering what was going to happen. He could see Ashley looking at him now, a worried look on her face.

"Andros what's the matter?"

Andros heard some sound from above them and quickly looked up. A green beam of light was coming straight towards them. Without thinking, he pushed Ashley away from danger as the beam hit him straight on.

"Andros!" Ashley shouted as she watched the beam engulf him. She quickly got back up and leaped after him.

* * *

Last release of 2007. I'll see you all in 2008. Enjoy. 


	9. Betrayal: Chapter 1

First chapter of the New Year. Good ol 2008. Hope you all had a good one.

* * *

_"The warrior doesn't care if he's called a beast or a dog; the main thing is winning." _

_- Asakura Norikage_

- - -

"Ashley…"

There was that voice again… It was calling out for her… It seemed awfully familiar and at the same time, mysterious.

"Ashley!"

Giving into the urge to know where the voice is coming from, she slowly opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times. She looked around, trying to grasp her surroundings but her mind was in a fog. She couldn't remember what happened or how she got here.

"Ashley?" It was then that she noticed that there was a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight.

She turned her head slightly and was met with a set of very familiar brown eyes. "Andros?"

The soldier only nodded while his expression remained serious. One look and she could immediately tell he wasn't happy at all.

"Are you mad at me?" She hesitantly asked. She was afraid of what Andros might say to her seeing as how she jumped after him into the beam.

Andros let out a sigh and shook his head. "I was when I found that you came after me but now I'm glad that you're okay." When he first saw the beam, he instantly knew what it was. A teleportation beam, that's why he pushed Ashley away so she wouldn't be caught in it but to his surprise, she jumped in after him.

Ashley released the breath she was holding and gently rested her head against his chest. "So where are we?"

"Reminds me of a level 2 prisoner holding cell…" Andros faintly answered. He had his guesses to where they were but until he made sure, he didn't want to alarm Ashley of the danger that she was about to face.

Ashley played around with her morpher and tried pushing several buttons, seeing if her communications was enabled but sadly, the signal was either jammed or unavailable. Andros looked down and saw what she was doing. "Don't bother, I tried. This place jammed my frequency as well."

"Welcome distinguish guest!" A loud voice echoed into the room. Ashley could feel Andros's muscles tensing up, as if he recognized the voice. "Do you know the voice?" She whispered.

Andros didn't answer, he was too busy glaring at the top of the room, where there was a little black announcement box mounted on the corner.

"Oh? It looks like we have more than one guest with us today." The voice seemed slightly amused. "And what a fine beauty she is."

Ashley heard the remark and looked around, seeing if there were any cameras. It gave her goose bumps the way this person was talking about them. It was almost like if the person could see into the room.

"Who are you?" Ashley calmly said. She pulled herself up and walked over to the box, examining it for any hidden cameras.

"My my, what a feisty beauty. You should keep a leash on her… MS-201."

Hearing the codename for Andros, Ashley whipped her head back and stared at Andros, who only kept glaring at the box. He made no attempt of moving from his spot, it was almost like he was expecting this.

"You have three seconds to tell me who you are before I come after you!" Ashley threatened, her right hand opening the cover to her morpher.

The sounds of laughter soon transmitted itself to the room, filling it up with laughter. Ashley pounded her fist against the wall, obviously angry that someone out there was underestimating her. "You're asking for it!" She flipped open the cover, and pushed in the code. "Let's -"

Before she could finish, Andros appeared in front of her and pushed the cancel button on her morpher. "What's that for Andros?" She looked at him in surprise.

"Why didn't you let her morph MS-201? She so badly wanted to come after me. Let her." The voice mocked.

"There is an electrical force field surrounding the entire area. If you tried to morph, you would have been electrocuted." Andros explained.

"Xeletin. Your fight is with me. Let her go and we'll settle the score." Andros spoke up. His voice was derived of all emotions, only to be replaced by a cold monotone.

"I can't do that MS-201. I was hired to bring you in _alive._" Xeletin put some emphasis on that word. "It would hurt my reputation if you came in clinging to life as you see, my employer wants to destroy you with her own hands."

"Andros. Who is this Xeletin?" Ashley spoke up, curiosity written across her face. She knew some facts about Andros but he never mentioned any friends before.

"Aw. Is that what they call you now MS-201? Andros?" Xeletin laughed. "I'm hurt that you never speak about me. Your brother."

The news came to Ashley as a shock. She didn't know Andros had a brother. He said himself that he didn't even have a family. As she looked at Andros, she could see his hands enclosed in a fist, ready to smash the box.

"Get your facts straight Xeletin. You were never my brother." Andros forcefully replied.

Xeletin chuckled. "Call it whatever you want but that doesn't change the fact that you are now my prisoner. Just sit back and try not to die before we get there."

Andros slammed his fist into the wall as communication ended. His eyes glowed dangerously as he pulled his fist back and slumped to the ground.

"Andros?" Ashley calmly said. "Who is he?" She approached him slowly.

Andros took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "You weren't supposed to be here Ashley. This is too dangerous for you -"

"Dangerous?" Ashley retorted. "I'm a Power Ranger. I fight monsters on a daily routine. Are you telling me this is too dangerous for me?" She raised her voice a little.

"Yes!" Andros shouted. Ashley was taken by surprise by his outburst and fell down. "Just listen to me Ashley. This is one mess that you don't want to get involved with."

"Humph." Ashley snorted and turned around, folding her hands against her chest. "That's not a good enough reason." In the back of her head, Ashley knew she was being stubborn but she was a Power Ranger as well. She might not have gotten the same training as Andros but she was good enough to fight by his side. If it was a one on one battle, she can definitely hold her own for a while.

"Xeletin is…" Andros sighed. "He is an ex-soldier from the Legion that is wanted by three different intergalactic law enforcement agencies and he is classified as one of the most dangerous criminals to ever cross the galaxy.

Okay this was maybe something out of her league. Ashley's mouth dropped slightly when she heard that this Xeletin was wanted by three different intergalactic law enforcements. Maybe she should have listened to Andros's advice back then but it was too late now. She unfolded her hands and turned around. "Well what did he mean by that he was your brother?"

Andros leaned his head back against the wall, his hands now covering his eyes. "We grew up together at the Legion. He was always the one who looked out for me but he went rogue during one of the missions."

Andros pushed himself up and looked around the room, his eyes searching for something.

"What are you doing?" Ashley inquired.

Andros didn't respond as his hands quickly moved against the wall. "Looking for the way out." He answered. His search took him to the four corners of the room, tapping his knuckles lightly against each wall. So far, he was unsuccessful as the sound produced was solid but Andros didn't give up.

His perseverance paid off when he reached the last corner, a hallow metallic sound responded when his knuckles tapped against the wall. "Xeletin wasn't exactly the smartest soldier. His plans were always half finished." Andros explained.

Ashley managed to produce a grin despite their current situation. She watched as Andros took several steps backwards before putting his left foot forward. His hands fell into a martial arts stance, his right hand raised up while his left was by his leg. Andros inhaled a deep breath before rushing forward. He released an angry scream as his foot connected with the wall.

The kick connected with the metallic wall and produced a loud ringing sound before the wall disconnected itself, making a way for their escape. Andros stepped back and took another breath but had a smirk on his face.

Ashley ran over to his side, concern written across her face. "Oh my god. Are you okay? That was amazing!"

Andros nodded his head as he stepped through the hole. "Come on let's go." He held out his hand for Ashley to take.

She took once last look before taking his hand. The two of them, a soldier and ranger ran though the corridors and suddenly found themselves in a huge arena. "What… is this place?" Ashley asked, somewhat amazed. Was she in a spaceship? Just before, she convinced herself that she was but now, she wasn't so sure.

The sounds of clapping prompted Andros to drop Ashley's hand and protectively took a stance in front of her, his eyes fixated on the man in front of him. "Xeletin…" Andros growled out.

"Bravo Andros. Bravo. I can call you Andros right?" Xeletin smiled towards the other two.

Ashley turned to the direction, finally meeting Xeletin face to face. He was nothing like the evil ugly bounty hunter type person. No in fact, he looked rather human. With his silver spiked up hair and his blue eyes, he could pass as some sort of movie star. The difference between him and Andros was probably the body difference. While Andros was muscle toned, this guy was built like a body builder.

Andros glared at the man. "We're leaving Xeletin."

"I don't think so." He waved his finger in the air, as if he was talking to a couple of kids. "If you leave now. My boss will be angry and she's cute when she's angry but I rather not be turned into a rat if you get my drift."

Xeletin soon turn his eyes on Ashley and she could feel his eyes roaming all over her body. She stepped behind Andros and stayed close to him. "So you're the girl that foolishly jumped after him. At least you have some good taste Andros. You aren't a total loser after all."

He held out his hand and smiled at Ashley. "My boss didn't give me instructions about you. How about you join me? I'm sure I would be better company than Andros over there."

Ashley snorted. "No thanks. I'm came here with Andros and I'm planning to leave with him."

Xeletin rolled his eyes. "Andros Andros Andros. It's always about you isn't it Andros. Save this planet Andros. Stop this evil Andros. Kill those people Andros. Each time they sent you out on a mission, you always came back successful. Never have I seen you failed a mission Andros." Xeletin lowered his head.

"But you know what?" The bounty hunter suddenly looked up, his blue eyes now a deep shade of red. "No one is perfect."

"So you're jealous of me now Xeletin? Is this is about your revenge?" Andros shouted.

Xeletin laughed. "Revenge? Why would I want revenge for something you did Andros? No, I wouldn't be in your shoes right now… Murderer." His voice dropped several degrees, resulting in a chilling tone.

"Murderer? Andros isn't a murderer. He saved lives doing what he's doing." Ashley replied, defending him.

"Oh Andros, what lies have you been feeding this girl?"

Ashley's eyes darted from Xeletin to Andros but he had his head down, ashamed to look her in the face. "What lies is he talking about Andros?" She asked, suddenly afraid to know the answer.

"Don't be shy. Just tell her about the massive homicide on Planet Legoria."

"I…" Andros seemed to be at a lost for words. "I…"

"Oh don't be shy Andros. Just tell her that you _effortlessly_ slaughtered 200 people in a couple of hours."

Ashley gasped as she stepped away from Andros. "200 people?" She whispered. Her voice shook with shock as fear appeared in her eyes. "You killed all those innocent people?"

"Ashley…" Andros tried to reason with her. "You have to understand…"

"Understand what!" She yelled. "That you were on a mission?" Tears started to form in her eyes. "I can't believe I trusted you."

"And that's why I didn't want to be in your shoes." Xeletin pointed out.

"Ashley…" Andros held his hand forward but Ashley forcefully swatted it away. Her movement shocked Andros.

"Stay away from me." She screamed.

"She doesn't want anything to deal with you anymore Andros. Mirali would have probably been the same if she knew what you were." Xeletin taunted.

"Shut up…"

"It's a shame that she's dead now."

"I said SHUT UP!" Andros yelled out. His actions caused Ashley to freeze up. She never saw this side of Andros before. He turned away from Ashley and glared at Xeletin. She gasped as she saw his eyes. They weren't those same brown eyes that she remembered. They were now a different shade, ones that lacked everything else but hatred.

"Now those are the eyes that I remembered Andros. The eyes of a killer. It's been a while since I seen them. I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"You can try Xeletin but when its all said and done, I will kill you."

* * *

Author's Note: I just wanted to thank all the reviews that I received so far. Now I know what you're thinking, "Not another long Author's note" but it must be done. This is the next arc of my story. It will twist and churn all existing theories and reasons that the series have established. I apologize ahead of time if I offend anyone with my story. 

As of this chapter, the story has successfully entered the second story arc, the first one being titled "Trust." The next following chapters will be titled "Betrayal." I will say this if it makes anyone feel better, I have a soft spot for happy endings for the main character pairings so if it makes you continue to read this story then by all means, I welcome you to but if this isn't your cup of tea, I thank you for sticking with me so far and hope that my future works will be of your interest.


	10. Betrayal: Chapter 2

I was too excited to get out with the next chapter. Well here it is. I'm actually quite please with how it turned out.

Don't take my word for it.

Enjoy.

* * *

"I was always your better Andros. Even during our legion days." Xeletin gloated.

The two stood face to face but with enough distance between them. They stared each other down, once brothers but now enemies on the battlefield.

Andros didn't respond; his eyes now clouded in anger. The images of Ashley screaming at him, telling him to stay away from her kept replaying themselves over and over in his mind, like a broken record that didn't know when to stop. The way she forcefully swatted away his hand stung more than any weapons will. It was because of this that he now knew, feelings were useless on the battlefield. A soldier should not be cooped with any feelings. His mentors were right, he was a fool to show any emotion.

"It's been 2 years since I saw you Andros. Two years, just two simple words but a lot longer for those who lived through them." Xeletin said, his eyes fixated on Andros. "It is a shame that our meeting had to be like this. I wanted it to be under a more different circumstance…"

"Are you done with the past Xeletin?" Andros coldly spoke up.

Xeletin only smiled. "We're not in a rush to go anywhere Andros. Well I'm not anyway."

"You're only prolonging your death Xeletin."

Xeletin laughed. "Still talking like you can beat me. You couldn't beat me before, what makes you think you can do it now?"

Without warning, Andros ran forward, his fist arched back. He lunged forward with a feint with his right. He predicted that Xeletin would see it coming and move left to avoid the attack and that's what he did. The soldier's prediction came true when Xeletin moved left and he countered, with a hard left to the face but to his surprise, Xeletin caught the fist with ease.

"Not yet Andros. Those aren't the eyes that I wanted to see. Maybe you need a little more encouragement…"

Xeletin rammed his head into Andros, causing the soldier to stagger back from the surprise head butt. The bounty hunter didn't stop there, he continued his assault; throwing continuous blows aimed towards Andros's ribs.

Andros felt the air leaving his body when he felt those hits and coughed up some blood. He caught a smirk on Xeletin's face before he left himself flying across the room and skidding on the ground. He slowly pulled himself up and wiped the blood off his lips.

- - -

Ashley sat far enough from the fight but still close enough to hear the conversation. Her body was trembling from fear, hearing that Andros had committed those atrocious crimes. That wasn't the same Andros that she grown to known.

The same Andros who showed her that garden.

"_Open your eyes Ashley… We're here." Andros said._

_Ashley slowly pulled off her blindfold and felt herself admiring the beautiful garden. She turned to Andros, his brown eyes had a warm feeling to them and she smiled at him. "It's beautiful." She whispered._

The same Andros who promised to be there when she needed help.

"_Are you okay?" Andros asked as she only nodded. He held her carefully in her arms, almost as if she was going to break at the slightly touch._

_Ashley returned the warm embrace and hugged Andros back, glad that he wasn't seriously hurt. "You didn't have to go after the thief for me." She whispered while still in the embrace._

"_Thief or not, stealing is wrong and should be punished -" Before Andros could finish that sentence, Ashley put her finger to his mouth and smiled. "Thank you Andros."_

_Andros nodded as they stood there in the alley holding each other close while waiting for the police to arrive._

The same Andros who protected her all those times.

"_Don't worry. You'll be safe." Andros whispered as he stood in front of her._

_Ashley watched as Horror Bull and Crocotox sneered at him. His only response was holding out his arm slightly before calling forth his weapon. _

_She could feel his power just radiating off him and it was then that she knew, that he would protect them._

All those memories came flooding back and she felt her vision becoming fuzzy, unable to watch the fight in front of her clearly. Tears dropped on to her cheeks as she watched Andros took those blows straight from Xeletin, his breathing becoming more irregular as his body was using more strength than he has. Her eyes widened when she spotted a spot of red appearing on his bandages.

- - -

"Say… I wondered what went on in that girl's head when she died." Xeletin smiled coldly. "Maybe she was surprised that the ones sent to protect her ended up to be the ones who killed her."

Andros clutched his ribs, feeling a moist spot appearing on his left side. He wasn't worried about some petty injury. He suffered worse before and this was nothing compared to his anger. His thoughts lied only on killing Xeletin.

"Let's make this more interesting." Xeletin said and snapped his fingers. A magical force field seemed to have disappeared around the area when he did that. Xeletin held out his hands and a sword similar to Andros's appeared.

Andros narrowed his eyes and he did the same thing, the spiral saber appearing in his hands. "You only sealed your death by allowing me my weapon."

Xeletin rolled his eyes. "Your petty threats are getting old Andros." He swung his sword around and grinned. "You remember this don't you? The Jian." He charged forward and swung, eager to be reacquainted.

Andros didn't have time to dodge fully as the Jian came down in front of him. He stepped back and blocked with his own sword. "Do you remember what her last words were?" Xeletin said as he pushed the sword down. "_Why are you doing this? Aren't you my friend?_" Xeletin laughed when he finished. "If I actually cared, it would have been sad."

- - -

From far away, Ashley gasped as she heard everything. Those words and how Xeletin just laughed when he reenacted the scene. She couldn't believe it. She watched as Xeletin continued to push forward. She really wanted to jump in and help but she was afraid. Afraid that Andros wasn't everything that he said that was. Afraid that he would do the same thing to her and her friends.

"What do I do?" She whispered to herself.

- - -

Andros felt himself being pushed back and grunted when he felt his back slammed into the wall. He could see Xeletin sneering at him as his own blade came closer to his neck. Andros raised his knee and managed a blow that connected with Xeletin's chin. Xeletin relinquished the hold and Andros jumped away, giving him enough time to get his act together.

"You killed her…" Andros whispered out slowly. "It was you… You killed her!"

Xeletin nodded. "She was in the way of our mission Andros." He watched as Andros slowly approached him, his sword dangling by his side. "Did you give up already?"

The only response that he got was a surprise attack. The Andros in front of him disappeared and his senses were on high alert. He quickly swung his sword backwards in the nick of time to block a near fatal blow.

Xeletin smirked as he saw Andros's eyes. They were slowly returning back to their original form. The empty cold brown eyes of a soldier. The eyes that haunted his dreams when he fled from Legoria. The eyes that he swore that he would get revenge on.

Andros dragged his sword down, forcing Xeletin to jump back in order to save his sword from being broken. He ran forward and lunged for the heart, attempting to end this fight once and for all. Xeletin parried the attack by throwing his sword to block the attack. He ran in while his actions caught Andros by surprise and grabbed his deflected weapon. The bounty hunter twirled around and stabbed.

"**Spiral Slash!**"

Blood sprayed everywhere as Xeletin frowned. The attack was designed to impale his opponent but somehow, Andros saved himself. "Looks like you saved yourself from being impaled but that doesn't mean you're out of danger yet!" Xeletin twisted his sword sideways and performed a wide slash before kicking Andros into the wall.

- - -

Ashley forced herself to remain seated, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks as she watched the intense battle. There wasn't just one battle out there. No, there were two battles. The second battle was a fight with herself. She was wrestling with her conscience. It was telling her not to go out there, to save a man whose not worthy of saving while her heart was telling her to go.

Her hands gripped her morpher tightly and she closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she knew what she must do. She flipped over the lid and entered the code. Instead of the warm comforting power washing over her body, it was filled with electrical shocks and she let out a cry of pain as she felt shocks running through her body.

- - -

The two men momentarily turned their gaze towards the scream. Xeletin had a grin on his face as he saw the small sparks coming from Ashley. "I thought you told her not to morph Andros. Oh well." He shrugged. "She paid the price for not listening."

Andros felt a slight pain in his heart and ignored it. His left hand slowly removed itself from the wound and he stood up.

Xeletin watched as Andros looked up. "There! There are the eyes that I wanted! The eyes that made you famous Andros!" He jumped forward and twirled. "**SPIRAL SLASH!**" He cried out.

Andros stood there and glared straight on. His cold empty eyes stared at the attack and at the last moment, Andros deflected the sword by the tip of his blade and swung as hard as he could, his saber connected with the back of Xeletin's head, sending him flying into the wall. He gripped his weapon tightly. "Back during our legion days, we needed techniques to kill instantly. A move that doesn't kill instantly is useless on the battlefield. The Spiral Slash was yours Xeletin. Stand up. This is a pathetic way to end our first duel in two years."

Xeletin got back up, blood dripping down his face as his red eyes stared on. He spat out blood from his mouth and smirked. "You know, she can turn me into a rat for all I care. I'm going to kill you!" He raised his arms slightly and charged head on.

"**Storm Slash!**"

Andros saw the movement clearly with his eyes, an attack that involved multiple directions to confuse your opponent but truthfully, there was still one blade. He ran forward and met the attack head on, determined to show Xeletin that he wasn't someone to mess with.

"**Cross Slash!**"

The force of the two attacks resulted in a tremendous release of power. Each of the warriors stood on opposite ends, their back turned on each other. Andros was slightly crouching lower than usual but he had a smirk on his face. "The next thing that will be flying will be your head."

Xeletin stared at the broken weapon in his hand. The Jian, the weapon that protected him through many battles during his legion days and his bounty hunter days now lay broken in his hands. The top half of it broke during their attack and was sent flying across the wall before embedding itself in it.

- - -

After pulling herself together, Ashley shrugged off the numbness in her left arm. That electrical shock was to say the very least… shocking. She shook her head, angry that she didn't listen to Andros. What made her think that she could morph. He warned her before and she experienced it first hand.

Ashley heard a clang sound before seeing a piece of a sword flying past her and hitting the wall. Her eyes widened what she just witnessed. A piece of sword broke up and flew past her. She turned her head towards the battle and saw Xeletin holding his sword, a shocked expression written over his face.

"The next thing that will be flying will be your head." Andros stated as he smirked.

He smirked. Ashley noticed. He never smirked in the face of battle before. Even when they were dealing with monsters, sure, he was cold and relentless but they were monsters. This was another human being here. How could he act like this?

His eyes were the part that frightened her. So cold and empty, it was enough to make her shiver by just looking in it.

Just seeing him act like this made her heart wrench in pain. She so desperately wanted to shout out his name and beg him to stop but she couldn't do it. Nothing came out. She was actually helpless in this situation.

- - -

Xeletin growled as he held his sword in front of him. "You broke my sword Andros. I will take your life as payment for my sword!" He ran towards Andros, wielding his broken sword in one hand.

"You never did know when to quit Xeletin." Andros stood there stoically but his eyes remained the same. He raised his hand, the spiral saber held dangerously in the air.

"You should know me better than anyone else Andros. I was never one to back down from a challenge!" Xeletin shouted as he threw his sword at Andros.

'_So he chooses death over life. Foolish mistake!'_ Andros thought as he blocked the sword with his bare hand. As Xeletin came closer, Andros brought the sword down, intending to end his life.

The blow never came as Xeletin used his elbow to knock the sword away before slapping the saber out of Andros's hand. "You sucked when it came to physical contact Andros." Xeletin said as he landed several hard blows. The sheer amount of power behind those attacks caused Andros to cough up some more blood but Xeletin didn't stop there. He quickly got behind Andros and caught him in a strangle hold.

Andros gagged as his oxygen supply was cut off by the strangle hold. He could hear Xeletin slightly chuckling behind him and before he knew it, his body acted on instinct. He slammed his head back into Xeletin's nose, causing the bounty hunter to release the hold. Andros quickly jumped away and both were down, eagerly grasping of air.

"It's time we settle this Andros." Xeletin said as he cracked his knuckles.

Andros nodded as he too cracked his knuckles.

The two soldiers let out a small cry as they ran in, determined to end this duel once and for all.

Ashley watched as the two men ran forward. She knew that death awaited the loser and judging by how much blood Andros lost, he wasn't far from death.

Her heart was yearning for it.

Her brain was screaming for her to do it.

With everything she had, she screamed out his name.

* * *

Man what a cliffhanger. Leave me some reviews. I'm interested to see how people react to this story since this is different from your average stories out there. Good or bad, I welcome it all. 


	11. Betrayal: Chapter 3

The exciting conclusion to the epic battle. I am going to take a break from this story for a while and start back on my other ones. I hope you enjoyed the releases so far.

* * *

From her own perspective, time itself was moving at a slow pace; each second felt like an hour. Ashley was lost in her own little world, a harsh punishment for her actions. She was left helpless, unable to morph and unable to do anything to help. As she watched Andros and Xeletin fight, she knew she was outclassed, out leveled. They were locked in a fierce battle where her voice can no longer reach them.

But she wasn't going to give up. She saw the regretful look in his eyes when she screamed at him. How can she forget? Her mind wouldn't let her forget. Her heart was breaking each time she thought back to it.

She can feel her heart was yearning for it.

Her mind was screaming for it.

And so, without any regrets, she screamed out his name with everything she had.

"ANDROS!"

- - -

The two men stopped charging, their fist just inches away from each other's face. Andros had his eyes widened as he looked towards Ashley.

Ashley panted, tears rolling down her eyes. "Stop… Andros… Please stop!"

Xeletin growled. "I won't let anyone, especially you, Yellow Ranger, to ruin a good fight."

"But if you continue like this, one of you will die!" She shouted.

"Since when do you care?" Andros retorted. Ashley felt the coldness of his tone, slicing through her and it hurt. It hurt her deeply to see him talking like this. She tried to answer back but her voice was giving out on her. The only thing she could do was look back at him, hoping, just hoping, that he would understand.

"You know what? You're not needed here anymore." Xeletin snapped his fingers as a green beam appeared from below Ashley, surrounding her. Her eyes widened as she recognized what this beam was. Xeletin waved goodbye as he watched the Yellow Ranger tried with all her strength to struggle back to her feet but it was futile. She was already gone by the time she realized it.

Turning his attention back to Andros, a sinister smirk appeared on his face. "No more interruptions Andros. Only one of us will walk out from this ship alive."

Andros cracked his knuckles. "I couldn't agree more."

- - -

"I'm sooo bored Cassie." Zhane said for the thousandth time. "Let's do something!"

Cassie rolled her eyes as she sat there, in their command center, listening to their so-called leader whine. Their afternoon couldn't be any more boring. How she longed for another monster attack.

She would give anything for a piece of action right now. Anything! A monster attack, a building on fire, a cat stuck on a tree. Anything to get Zhane to stop whining.

Just as Zhane was about to open his mouth again, the alarm rang in the command center, alerting the two of possible danger. They jumped to their feet and ran towards the central computer. "What's happening?" Cassie asked.

Zhane worked furiously as he began checking the different sectors. "There's some sort of beam aimed…" His eyes widened. "At us!"

Cassie braced herself for the attack and when she saw a soft shade of green appear in front of her, she moved back, preparing for an attack. She lowered her guard when she recognized the person that was in the green light.

"Ashley!" She cried out. She shoved a shocked Zhane aside and ran to her friend, motherly instincts kicking in. "Are you okay? Where did you come from? Why are you coming?" The questions came in at a thousand words per second.

Ashley looked around, her eyes red and puffy from all the crying. Her mind finally registered that she wasn't in Xeletin's spaceship anymore. She was back on Earth, with her friends.

"Cassie. Chill! Give her room to breathe."

Ashley managed to put a smile on her face as she hugged her friend. She was just glad that she was home and not on that spaceship any longer. It was then that she realized that she was the only one who made it off the ship. "I have to go back." She hastily said.

Cassie shook her head. "No! Absolutely not! You are in no condition of going back!" Judging by her exhausted appearance, something bad must have happened. "What happen up there?" She heard some words being mumbled between breaths and she frowned. "What?"

Ashley sighed as she replayed the painful memories in her head. "Xeletin took us prisoner and… and… I betrayed him!"

Cassie looked towards Zhane for clarification but all she got in return was a shrugged. "Men…" She muttered under her breath.

"Ashley. Here." Cassie said, handing her a couple of tissues. "Now tell us from the start what happened."

_Several minutes later_

Zhane was already by the controls, searching the galaxy for any signs of movement done by a large spacecraft while Cassie was sitting next to Ashley, providing moral support to the girl.

"I'm such a horrible person." Ashley said. "I didn't even give him a chance to explain. I threw everything we had back in his face. I might as well just have slapped him."

Cassie sighed. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know he did those things. I would have been shocked too if I heard those things."

Ashley shook her head. "But you weren't there to see it. The hurt in his eyes. The look of betrayal." She shuddered from the memory.

Cassie thought for a minute, trying to picture Andros in her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't do it. "Yeah. I guess you're right." She then saw the hurt look on her friend's face and quickly retracted her last statement. "I mean you're wrong!"

Ashley tried to force a smile on her face but failed horribly. "I would give anything just to go back in time to change all this."

"Hey girls?" Zhane spoke up from the controls. "You better come see this."

- - -

Xeletin grunted as he yelled for his body to get up. It was pathetic the way he, the world's famous bounty hunter, wanted by three intergalactic law enforcement agencies, was struggling to get up against him, Andros, a petty soldier from the Legion.

"Looks like the dog that barked the loudest couldn't in the end bark at all."

Xeletin smirked as he watched Andros himself struggled to balance himself with his saber. "This is truly the end huh… Andros?"

The soldier narrowed his eyes as he lifted his blade and walked over. He stared at the man on the ground. The man that was formerly his brother. "This is the end of the line Xeletin." He lifted the blade, intending to end Xeletin's life but he stopped when he saw a mysterious gleam in the man's eyes.

Xeletin looked up, a grin on his face. "Let's go out with a bang." He snapped his fingers and fell to the ground, his body finally deprived of energy. An alarm suddenly activated and a computerized voice spoke out loud. "Self Destruct in 1 minute."

"You fool!" Andros yelled as he grabbed Xeletin by his collar, ignoring the blood leaking from the wounds. "Do you have any clue what you have done?"

Xeletin chuckled. "Maybe. We're close to Astronema's fortress anyway. I'm doing you a favor here Andros. If I take her down, then maybe… I can repent for my sins."

Andros sighed and dropped down next to him. "You're a fool. You know that?"

"Yeah… but no matter how hard I try. I am who I am. Just like whom you are Andros. All those people that you killed, no matter how hard you try; it doesn't erase the fact that you did it."

Xeletin stared at the ceiling, a fuzzy feeling starting to grow from the pit of his stomach. He knew what it was. It was the feeling of acceptance. It was because he had come to terms with his death. He knew it was his time to go and he couldn't have asked for a better way out.

"20 Seconds. Please evaluate immediately." The computerized voice warned.

Xeletin turned his head and saw the look that Andros was giving him. "Don't give me that look Andros. I much preferred the look in your eyes when you said you would kill me. Within ever fiber in your body, you are still a soldier. I was a soldier as well so trust me when I say this. A soldier is a soldier until the day he dies. He can never be anything else."

Andros scoffed as he got up and started walking away. "I will complete this mission Xeletin. Just you watch."

Xeletin laughed. "Fine Andros, I'll be watching you from the depths of hell, to see how long you can keep going."

Without looking back, Andros walked away for the last time, a cold expression written across his face.

- - -

"What is that thing there?" Zhane pointed as they watched the spaceship stopping momentarily next to a dark fortress.

"I don't -" Cassie started to analyze the new object as she squinted her eyes but without warning, the spaceship exploded in a flash of red and silver light, momentarily blinding the screen.

Ashley knew what it was. How can she not? She was just there. Her body quivered in fear as she watched the little bits of red and silver force their way out from the cracks of the spaceship before finally, exploding into nothing. In her eyes, it happened in slow motion and she could see it clearly.

"NOO ANDROS!" Ashley screamed out before dropping to the floor. Zhane kneeled right next to her, rubbing her back slowly. "It's okay Ashley. I'm sure he made it out fine." He said, trying to comfort the poor girl.

"And if he didn't?" She said, glaring at the man.

"Then… uh…" Zhane froze on the spot. He didn't know what to do in this type of situation. Fighting monsters, he knew what to do but comforting a heartbroken girl, that he didn't have the faintest idea. "There's more fish in the sea?" He hesitantly said.

From the perspective of the two women sitting on the floor, poor Zhane didn't realize the consequences of that sentence. It earned him two very cold glares that made him wish that he kept his mouth shut. Their angry looks instantly told him he wouldn't be able to forget this. '_Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned.'_ He thought as he backed away, trying to salvage whatever pride that he had left.

- - -

_Four long hours later_

"Is she finally asleep?" TJ asked, his eyes darting to the person in the infirmary.

Cassie sighed and nodded her head. "It took me two hours to convince her that Andros wasn't that type of person to die like that and another two hours for her to finally fall asleep." She rubbed her head in circular motions, trying to reduce her headache.

"Do you think he's dead?" Carlos asked. Everyone in the room had glared at him. "What?" Carlos looked around, not understanding why everyone was acting like this. "I mean if he's dead, we don't have a stuck-up soldier to deal with anymore."

"If that's the case, then our last hope for surviving this war has just decreased by thirty percent." Zhane said, looking down on the floor.

TJ slammed his fist on the table. "I don't know about you all but I could care less about the math. Andros was one of us. He fought and defended us against monsters. We would be dishonoring him by giving up now. We have to win this war for him!"

The rest of the team nodded their head in agreement.

Little did they know that Ashley was still awake in her bed, listening to their discussion. A tear rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes tightly. "I'm so sorry Andros…" She whispered before allowing darkness to engulf her once more.

- - -

As the days went by, monster attacks became less frequent but that was probably due to the reconstruction of the dark fortress. The explosion must have caused a great deal of damage to it in order for them to stop sending monsters. It was also thanks to that explosion that the Rangers also now know the location of their headquarters.

There was still no word on the soldier's whereabouts. The debris were still cluttered around, probably left there to prevent any visitors but that didn't diminish the hope that Ashley had. She knew he was alive out there somewhere and against what everyone believed, she still believed that he would come back.

On Ashley's behalf, Zhane had been scanning the area for anything that resembled Andros and when he found nothing, she merely nodded as she wandered around in the Command Center, like an empty shell.

TJ and Carlos tried to cheer up the girl by pulling pranks on Zhane but even those had no effects on her. It pained them deeply to see their friend in such a state and it killed them even more when their works weren't appreciated. It was the ultimate offensive to have no one laughing during one of their stunts. It was just unforgivable. Those two took it on themselves to come up with a new and better joke each day, hoping that one of those days, they would succeed.

Cassie, on the other hand, decided to take Ashley shopping. She needed to get out from this stuffy place and away from the guys. Shopping was one of Ashley's greatest past times and if this didn't cheer her up, nothing would. To Cassie's surprise, her idea failed as well. During the entire trip, Ashley was just like an empty vessel, barely picking up shirts and tank tops. She was just walking around aimlessly while mumbling random stuff about Andros.

Just as the two were finishing their shopping trip at the mall, Cassie had to pull Ashley along, seeing as how she was barely standing. When they got outside, they overheard some loud voices, obviously not caring about other people.

"Why are we doing this again Frightwing?" A screechy voice whined.

"Because it is the will of your master. We have to ensure his arrival! Now quit whining and continue scouting Batarax."

Cassie shoved Ashley against the wall, barely hiding them from view. Monsters were in Angel Grove and it looks like they were preparing for something. As she looked on, she could see the two of them holding something towards their eyes, as if they were scouting the area for something. She held her morpher to the mouth and slowly pressed the button.

"Monsters at the mall. Do you guys copy?" She barely whispered, not wanting to expose their location.

"Loud and clear my dear."

Cassie's eyes widened at the new voices. She gritted her teeth. "What do you think you're doing?"

Batarax sneered. "I remember you Pink Ranger. I'm going to enjoy this!" The monster waved its claws around menacingly.

"Ashley…" Cassie whispered. "Come on. We have to morph." From the corner of her eye, she could see Ashley just standing there, her mind someplace else. She sighed and held out her morpher. "Let's rumble."

"Let's rocket!" She shouted. The familiar feeling rushing through her body as she felt herself in her ranger form. She grinned under her helmet. "I was beginning to think you guys gave up."

"Never pesky ranger." Frightwing sneered.

The two rushed head on, engaging the Pink Ranger in battle. Cassie jumped over a leg sweep from Batarax and twisted in midair, kicking Frightwing away in the process. She landed on her feet gracefully and stared them on. "Come on. I'm just one ranger. Can't you do better?" She taunted.

Frightwing growled and grabbed Batarax by the collar before hurling the monster towards Cassie. Batarax started to yell as he was unexpectedly thrown towards the enemy. "Damn you Frightwing!" The monster held out its claw out and tackled Cassie to the ground.

Cassie was not your average ranger. Chosen as the successor to the previous Pink Ranger, she had seen all kinds of monster and their attacks but never has she seen this duo. The attack caught her by surprise and she couldn't evade it in time. She let out a yelp as Batarax tackled her to the ground.

She began to struggle, yelling for the monster to get off her but it was useless. Batarax lifted Cassie up with ease and threw her towards Frightwing, who was waiting for her with his attack.

"Nightmare Slash!" The monster charged up its horn and dealt a devastating slash across Cassie's chest, sending her spiraling towards the ground. As she struggled to get up, she held her morpher in front of her, calling for backup. "Zhane, TJ, Carlos. I need backup here." She grunted.

Zhane's voice instantly came back. "We have our hands full with Ecliptor and Darkonda. Holy… I think they're…" The transmission then came in contact with some static before it was completely cut off. She groaned as she tried to get up.

While all the fighting was going on, Ashley sat on the sidelines, an empty look in her eye but on the inside of her mind, she saw Cassie enduring the attacks. Each time she took a blow, she continued to get up, not once giving the monsters the satisfaction of winning.

'_Get up Ashley. Get up.'_ Her mind was shouting at her. She could feel her legs shaking as they pushed themselves up.

'_Cassie needs me! If I don't help her now, she'll end up like Andros!'_ Her hands pushed her body forward. She would be damned if she would let another one of her friends fall victim because of her inability to help.

'_I won't let anyone else fall!'_ Her mind yelled. With renewed determination, she slowly rose to her feet. Still slightly shaking, she found herself smiling. "This time, I will fight!"

* * *

I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Adios for now. 


	12. Reflection: Chapter 1

I'm still alive and kicking... After a two week break, I'm back somewhat.

* * *

Despite all her efforts, it was beyond her ability to rush into a fight with two monsters and win. 

Cassie knew it.

Her body knew it.

Even the monsters knew it.

Cassie gave it her all as she defended herself against two monsters. Even with the healing factor that came with her ranger powers, the blows from the monsters still stung. She screamed in agony as the monsters continued their relentless attack.

"Cassie!"

Feeling close to her body's limit, Cassie gasped as she saw Ashley running towards her, morphed and ready for action.

"YOU LOSE RANGER!" Batarax yelled out as he brought down his final attack on the Pink Ranger.

"Star Slinger!" Ashley cried out. Feeling the familiar surge of power once again going through her body, the weapon materialized in her hands. She felt her index finger on the trigger and pressed on it hard.

Batarax didn't see it coming. He took a direct hit from the blast and was sent spiraling away from Cassie. He groaned as he pushed himself up. He glared at the Yellow Ranger, cursing her for her interference. Astronema would have rewarded him greatly for the demise of one ranger.

"Star Slinger - Maximum Power!" The weapon in Ashley's hand began to glow a bright yellow, alerting Batarax that this wasn't a good sign.

"FIRE!" Ashley yelled out as she pressed on the trigger. Several short but powerful blasts shot out from her weapon, going faster than usual.

Within seconds after the blast hit Batarax, the monster stood back up once more but with an empty look on his eyes. He began to swerve from side to side until he fell back down, resulting in his untimely defeat. Just as he hit the floor, an explosion occurred, causing Ashley to raise her hand and shield her eyes from the blast.

She intuitively looked around for the second monster but found that he was nowhere in sight. She ran back over to where Cassie was and held her hand out. "Looks like you need some help."

Cassie looked up and rolled her eyes. "Way to point out the obvious." She eagerly took Ashley's hand and felt herself being pulled back up.

"Don't forget about me rangers!" Frightwing yelled as the monster flew down from the sky. The girls slowly turned their head, an icy cold glare directed towards the monster. Even though the monster wouldn't see their expression, Frightwing could still feel the uncomforting gaze that he was receiving. No sooner after he landed, his body froze with fear, unable to move itself.

"Why… don't… you… DISAPPEAR!" The girls both said at the same time. Cassie summoned her Satellite Stunner and pointed it towards Frightwing.

"You caused enough trouble today."

"It's time you disappear."

Frightwing was a monster that was in a class above the rest. He had seen things that no one else had seen, done things that no other monster would do and for the first time in his life, he now feared someone other than Astronema. These two girls were nothing but trouble. At first, he thought the pink one was a pushover but she endured all their attacks until the yellow one stepped in.

The Yellow Ranger. The one that changed the atmosphere just instantly. He could smell the fear from the pink one but it vanished once the Yellow Ranger entered the scene.

The monster released an angry yell as the beams hit him on the chest, destroying him instantly. He didn't see it coming. The power radiating from these two and it cost him in the end.

- - -

_Elsewhere_

"Are you sure this will work?"

"His life hangs in the balance. It must work."

"And if he doesn't make it?"

The second voice sighed. It was more of a weary and tired sigh. The man stared at the unconscious person lying on the bed, uncertainty written across his face. "It will work Xing. He is the one that was written in the stars. He will not fail us."

- - -

_Dark Fortress_

"Ecliptor!" Astronema yelled out. "Darkonda. Where are you two hiding?"

The two generals stepped into their princess's personal chambers, bowing as they entered.

"What do you wish of us?" Ecliptor asked.

"Why did you not finish off the rangers like I wanted you to?"

Before Ecliptor could answer, Darkonda spoke up. "Why finish them off now? It is better if we show them our power. Make them feel weak and that all hope is lost. Especially since MS-201 is out of the picture. They know they can't stop us. We already proved that."

Astronema narrowed her eyes, thinking over what Darkonda just said. "I see your point." She slowly answered. "But we cannot waste any more time. That fool Xeletin failed me and paid the ultimate price. I will not tolerate any more failures. Do you understand me?"

The two generals nodded their head. "Yes." They answered together.

"Get out of my sight." Astronema ordered once they were finished with business. She turned around and walked out into the balcony. She looked outside, the debris from the explosion still there.

As soon as she heard the doors to her chamber close, she let out a small sigh. She unconsciously reached under her outfit and took out a small locket. She fiddled with it until it opened.

A small smile grimace her face as she stared at it. "Mom… Dad…" She whispered out. Inside the gold locket, there were two pictures. One was a picture of her parents and her before she was taken but the second one was unfamiliar. It was a picture of a baby boy, just barely a year old. She tried searching her past for clues of who this boy might be but she came up empty. She just couldn't remember him.

- - -

_Command Center_

When the girls finally arrived at the Command Center, they saw the guys standing there, bandaging their wounds.

"What happened to you guys?" Cassie asked as she walked over to give TJ some assistance.

Zhane remained silent, his thoughts running back to the battle. "Darklitor. That's what they called themselves."

"Darklitor? Whose that?" Ashley asked as she sat down on a chair.

"The combination between Darkonda and Ecliptor." Carlos answered. "If you thought those two were tough, wait until they merge."

Cassie growled and rubbed her head. "Seriously guys. Think positive! We have a situation at hand. We can't be depressed at a time like this. We are the protectors of this planet. If we can't defend Earth from Dark Specter, then who will?"

Zhane stood up and nodded his head firmly. "That's right! We're the Power Rangers!"

Ashley smiled at the sudden increase of team morale. "Cassie's right. We have a job to do."

The other rangers nodded their head, an extinguished flame now reignited. "We can't let a loss like this stop us. We have been through much worse before." TJ proclaimed. "We will get through this somehow."

Ashley let out a small yawn as she got up and stretched her arms. "Guys. I'm going back to my apartment. It's been a long day." She waved goodbye before excusing herself.

- - -

As soon as Ashley entered her apartment, she closed the door and let her body drop down to her couch. She let out a sigh as she moved her body over to make herself more comfortable. She turned her head slightly and found herself staring at a single flower that she left out on her coffee table.

"Are you all that I have left of him?" She asked. The flower didn't seem to respond as it just sat there.

"I still don't believe he's dead." She whispered. The single Cherry Blossom shifted slightly and Ashley smiled. "You know it too right?"

For what seemed like minutes turned out to be hours as Ashley sat there in silence, reliving her precious memories. Deep down inside, she knew Andros was alive. She didn't know how about she knows it. There was this connection in her heart, telling her that he was alive somewhere.

She frowned as she thought back to their final moments in that spaceship. She said some harsh things to him and she regretted it. She didn't want the things between them to be like this. She wanted it to go back to when they first met. When all they cared about was fighting even and not each other…

She really didn't know much about him. His past and his missions.

_Did it really matter?_

She shook her head. It didn't matter. It shouldn't matter but it did. When Xeletin told her about his actions, she just freaked out.

_Are you scared that he's not like the rest? That he's done things that none of your other friends have?_

She slowly shook her head. Everyone has a past, no matter how different it is. Andros was just different. He didn't grow up with parents. He didn't grow up with a childhood. He grew up without the feeling of human comfort and love. He was trained from childhood to be a soldier.

_Do you care for him?_

Ashley bit her lips as she smiled. She remembered all the good times that they shared together. The first time they met, the first time he opened up to her, and the first time he showed her his special place. These were all her precious memories that she held close to her and for the first time in her life, she had an answer.

_Yes. I do care for him._

- - -

_Elsewhere_

"How is he?"

The doctor did some routine procedures before looking at his clipboard. "It's still to early to say Xing but he might make it. He has to."

"Come back to us… Savior."

* * *

Author's Note: Well this chapter marks the end of the Betrayal Saga and the beginning of Reflections. I can see the ending coming up soon. At least 10 more chapters or so. Astronema is going to play a more vital role soon.

A shoutout to Celeron Red and Star-dreamer09 for the constant support and review for each chapter. Thanks guys. I appreicate it. This is my first attempt at a story from a TV show and not an animation. Next chapter will be up in a week or so.


	13. Reflection: Chapter 2

I got annoyed with my studies and decided to produce this chapter! Yay for the things your mind can think of when you're bored in class.

_

* * *

_

_Two Weeks Later_

"How are you holding up?"

This was a routine protocol. It was such a rhetorical question given that the answer was fairly obvious. The young man didn't even bother to respond. During these last two weeks, he's been doing nothing but small exercises to get his body back into shape. They said he was ready to go back but each time they told him that, he kept refusing. Telling them that he was still not ready.

"It's a beautiful scene isn't it?"

More small talk. Andros paid him no attention, ignoring the man's presence completely. He had hoped that the doctor would have learned by now that he wanted to be left alone, without anyone's company. He would survive without it.

"This is nature at its finest. Underneath the beautiful exterior is a rough, untamable beast. You see MS-201, even though nature provides us with a sense of peace and serenity, it also taught us not to arouse the beast too much. When nature is angry, it responds back with many natural disasters, like earthquakes or hurricanes."

Andros turned to the doctor and opened his mouth slightly but stopped. He sighed and looked the other way.

"In a strange way, you're just like nature… Andros."

Andros turned back around, surprise on his face when he heard the doctor called him by his first name. "How… did you know my name?" He finally spoke.

The doctor smiled, knowing that he succeeded in getting through to his patient. "I have known for a while Andros. It is okay to call you that right?" The doctor asked.

Andros nodded. "Yeah…"

"According to your charts and your physical examination, you're fine to go. What I don't understand is why you're still here? Shouldn't you be getting back to your mission?"

"I'll leave when I'm ready." Andros coldly answered. "If you don't want me here, all you have to do is ask."

"Woh calm down Andros." The doctor held his hands up in defense. "I'm not your enemy here. I'm only trying to help you. What's holding you back?"

The departure of his patient left the doctor standing there surprised. He was expecting some kind of response because usually, his patients would open up to him but Andros was different. Something must have happened to him that affected him greatly. As his patient walked past him, he could have swore he saw a small flicker of pain in his eyes before disappearing.

- - -

When Andros finally entered his room, the first thing he did was head towards his bed and pick up his communicator. The device served many purposes. The most important feature was that it was his morpher, the device that contained the powers that he needed to complete his mission.

His fingers lingered around the device before finally pressing a button. He held his breath as fuzzy static noise came into the background. "I'm leaving to resume my mission." It was a short, simple message that told very little but at the same time, held a lot of weight behind its meaning.

- - -

_Back on Earth_

For the past two weeks, the rangers were growing more weary with each passing battle. Everyday held some kind of monster attack, whether it was used as a distraction or just another battle, it didn't matter. To the rangers, defending their home was the main priority.

They hardly had any down time and when they did, monsters always appeared, ruining their day.

"How much more of this can we take?" Cassie whined. She slumped down into a comfortable chair and sighed. "It's almost like their doing this on purpose."

"For once Cassie, we can agree on something." Zhane commented but was greeted with a pillow to the face.

"Maybe they are getting desperate. They know they can't beat us so they're resorting to their last choice." Carlos said. The Black Ranger took a sip from his bottle of water. "I mean, every monster they sent down, we destroyed it. What else can they do to us?"

"I think something big is going on. Something bigger than usual." TJ spoke up from his seat by the window. "It's almost like… they're expecting us to defeat the monsters."

"Cheer up guys. Everything will be fine."

The other teens looked towards the kitchen and booed. "Why are you so optimistic Ashley? You're just as tired as the rest of us."

Ashley smiled as she moved a vase full of flowers towards the center of her living room. "I'm optimistic because I know everything's going to be okay."

"What kind of flowers are those? I've never seen them before." TJ said. He got up from his seat and delicately touched the flower. "It looks exotic."

"It's a Cherry Blossom." Ashley softly answered as she stared at it. "It's rare around this part of the world but if we were to visit the Eastern Hemisphere, there would be a lot."

The room suddenly got quiet, as if no one wanted to say anything to ruin the moment. They knew Ashley's life hasn't been the same. Even though she seemed to be fine, they knew it was all an act. Deep down inside, the real Ashley was hiding behind this mask of hers, hiding behind the cold hard truths. It pained everyone to see their friend act this way but there was nothing they can do. What she was suffering from was not a physical wound but a mental one that only time would heal.

- - -

"Doctor! He's gone!" A nurse urgently said. "I can't find him anywhere. We have to find him before he endangers himself." She immediately lifted the phone and began dialing some numbers. She looked up and saw the doctor standing there, a smile on his face.

"Doctor? Is something wrong? Your patient is gone!" She exclaimed.

The doctor shook his head. "Put down the phone. You won't find him here anymore. He's gone."

The nurse put down the phone and had a confused expression on her face. "What do you mean?"

"He's going back to accept the life he left behind. There is nothing left for him but to move forward."

"I see. That's so sad, the life that he has." The nurse answered. "I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

The doctor nodded his head. "That boy is special; it's just that he doesn't know it yet. He has a big future written out for him. It's not his place to die yet." He then lifted up his sleeve, revealing a similar device to the one that the nurse saw sitting in the patient's room.

"Is that…"

The doctor smiled and shook his head. "No. This is different." To prove that he didn't steal it, he flipped open the cover and pressed several numbers. "Turpin. Your soldier has left the vicinity. I believe it's time we told him about it."

The nurse gave the doctor a skeptical look, not believing his story until she heard a voice respond back. She dropped her clipboard when she heard the words that left her shock.

"Zemin. Dark Specter is coming."

- - -

As Andros sat on his spaceship that he borrowed, he kept one hand clutching his head. He felt some slight throbbing pain coming from the sides of his head. He took several deep breaths as he tried to clear his mind.

He didn't know what compelled him to leave the hospital. Was it a sense of duty or was it just a gut feeling? Whatever it was, it was telling him that he was needed back on Earth. Something was going to happen and his instincts were never wrong.

His distant eyes stared into space as he watched the ship followed the coordinates back to Earth. Suddenly without warning, his spaceship began to shake violently and he felt himself slamming his head against the window. He winced from the pain as he pushed himself back into his seat.

"Watch out for that last one, it's a bumpy ride ahead."

A voice… A very familiar voice. Andros blinked a couple of times and pinched himself to see if he was awake.

"You're not dead yet buddy."

There was that voice again. Andros got up and looked around. He was positive that he was the only one in this spaceship when he borrowed it.

"You can't see me? I'm hurt."

His eyes widened when he recognized the tone of voice. "Xeletin?" He asked.

Xeletin's ghostly figured appeared in front of Andros, making Andros jump back into his seat. "It's been a long time Andros." The ex-soldier smirked. "I was wondering what the hell was going on with you."

"I'm delusional. It must be from that sudden jerk." Andros muttered to himself.

"Delusional or not Andros, I'm as real as the air your breathing. I told you I would be watching you from the depths of hell. You can't escape my eyes."

Andros sighed. "What do you want? Revenge? Have you come to haunt me?"

Xeletin shook his head. "Surprisingly, I have not. There are plenty of opportunities in the future but today, I'm here to see why you're being so stupid. Even from hell, I know what you're thinking and it pisses me off. When are you going to move on Andros? Blocking and pushing people away is certainly not going to solve anything!"

"It doesn't matter anymore. I have no reason to make friends. I'm going to finish this mission alone and be done with it. I will defeat Dark Specter and save the universe. If I have to give my life up in the process, then so be it. There is nothing more important than finishing the job."

Xeletin laughed. Even in his spiritual form, the laugh was somewhat chilling. "Oh man, your speech was so humorous. I didn't think you had it in you to be funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny." Andros growled. "I was being serious."

Xeletin wiped the fake tear from his eye and grinned. "What about the girl that you're leaving behind Andros? How much more pain are you going to cause her?"

"She made it clear that she didn't want to be associated with me in any way." Andros coldly said. "I will respect her wishes -"

"IDIOT!" Xeletin yelled. "Do you know nothing about women? They never mean anything they say. Even when their angry, their judgment is clouded and makes rash decisions." The ex-soldier saw Andros looking down at his legs, unable to read his face. "Just do me a favor, when you get back, try not to do anything stupid okay?"

"Wait… Xeletin." Andros looked up. "Why are you here? Honestly."

The ghost shrugged his shoulders. "I was getting bored in hell." The figure slowly started to disappear, leaving Andros alone once more. "Oh yeah… Dark Specter is coming…"

"What?" The soldier asked but Xeletin was no longer there. "Dark Specter's coming?" Andros couldn't believe it. It would mean that the final battle was approaching. Maybe Xeletin wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"Computer. ETA until arrival." Andros said.

"About 2 hours left. The estimated time of arrival can be shortened by 80 percent if you allowed the other three boosters to be activated." A robotic voice answered.

"Do it." Andros replied. For the second time during this trip, the spaceship shook without warning, causing Andros to fall back into his seat. "They have got to make a warning system for this." He muttered.

* * *

So what did you guys think? Good chapter? Author nods head. 


	14. Reflection: Chapter 3

It's been a long time huh?

* * *

Astronema was half-heartedly paying attention to the battle in front of her. She knew it was her job to destroy the rangers but today, she just wasn't interested in them. She wasn't feeling up to it and she couldn't figure out why.

It could have been something that she ate.

It could have also been that earlier conversation that she had with Ecliptor.

Yeah - It was most likely that conversation with her adopted father that ruined her mood.

She couldn't help it. That topic was still fresh in her mind and Ecliptor was the only one who had any answers. She couldn't go to Darkonda, she couldn't really tell if the words that came out of his mouth were truths or lies.

She absentmindedly raised her arms to grab the Black Ranger who flew over her head and quickly threw him back into the fight. She didn't even acknowledge the reply from Darkonda who gratefully thanked her for her assistance.

"_You are my daughter Astronema but we are not related by blood. That doesn't mean I don't love you like my own. If the day comes, I will gladly give up my life to protect you. That is the duty of any father."_

Her adopted father's words deeply engraved themselves into her head. She would never forget them.

"_What about my locket Ecliptor?" Astronema said as she lightly touched the locket that hung around her neck. "Who are those people in there? Are they my blood family?"_

"_I would guess so my princess." said Ecliptor, pondering. "I found that locket on you when I found you."_

Astronema again fiddled with her locket, one hand still holding onto her scepter. "Just who are you guys…" She whispered as she continued to stare aimlessly at the battle.

- - -

"Prepare to meet your doom rangers!" Darkonda laughed. He grabbed Ecliptor forcefully and the two began to merge. Within moments, the two beings become one entity, the monster known as Darkliptor.

"Hahaha. This is it rangers." The monster laughed in a deep voice. "We fixed the problem from last time. You won't get off so easy this time!"

"You caught us by surprise before but this time, we're prepared for you!" Zhane shouted. He held his weapon firmly in front of him. The rest of the rangers stood next to him, already combining their weapons.

"Quadroblaster - Full Power!" The rangers shouted as they fired the fully-powered weapon.

They looked on hopefully as the blast hit Darkliptor but to their horror, the monster caught the attack with ease and neutralized it.

"Any more bright ideas oh fearless leader?" Said Cassie, sarcasms in her voice.

"Just one." Zhane replied. "Charge!"

The Silver Ranger raised his weapon slightly into the air before rushing in.

A mixed of expressions passed through his fellow comrade's faces. "Is… he serious?" Carlos asked.

TJ sighed and nodded his head. "We can't let him go in alone. It would dishonor the Ranger Code." He made a grab for Carlos and the two ran in, backing up their so-called leader.

"Shall we?" Cassie asked. Ashley raised her weapon and nodded her head as well. "It's our duty to protect the Earth from the scum of the universe!"

Cassie rolled her eyes when she heard that line. "I knew renting Men in Black was a big mistake." She mumbled as they too, joined the fight.

Things weren't looking up for the heroes. As soon as Zhane joined the battle, he was instantly thrown out with ease. TJ took out his AstroBlaster and started shooting while Carlos manned the Quadroblaster single-handedly. The two began to rapid fire at Darkliptor but again, the shots didn't seem to faze him at all.

The two rangers quickly stopped and stepped back, deciding on their next course of action.

Zhane groaned as he pulled himself up. "What hit me?"

No one answered him as Cassie and Ashley jumped in with Carlos and TJ, forming a four person circle around Darkliptor.

"This is more like it Rangers." Darkliptor chuckled. "Now I don't have to destroy you individually. I can do it in one swing!"

The rangers quickly took it up a notch, each attacking fiercely; not giving the monster a chance to strike back. To onlookers, it looks like the rangers were having the upper hand but views tend to be different depending on situation. To what looks like a winning situation on the outside, it was a losing situation on the inside.

Each of the rangers struck with as much force as they could muster but the blows were having very little effect.

"Stop that, your tickling me." Darkliptor taunted. "Hey, don't stop Pink Ranger. That massage was feeling good."

The rangers growled in annoyance and jumped back. "What do we do now?" Said Carlos, slightly out of breath.

"Delta Assault Formation 2." TJ answered. "On three."

TJ slowly held up one finger, then another one and finally the third finger went up.

"Go!" He shouted as the Rangers blitzed the monster. Carlos tackled the monster while Cassie and Ashley quickly went for the arms. TJ ran forward, holding both the Quadroblaster and his blaster in his arms. He jumped up and took aim.

From the corner of Carlos' eye, he saw TJ was in range and rammed his shoulder into Darkliptor's stomach once more, causing the monster grunt in pain.

TJ saw his moment and fired two shots directly at the monster's mouth. The other ranger's evacuated in time, avoiding the blast.

- - -

The blast caused Astronema to take notice of the battle. She looked on intently as she waited for her generals to pull themselves back up. They shouldn't be defeated this easily.

"That was some blast huh?"

A voice alerted Astronema to turn around, her scepter posed to strike at the intruder. Her eyes widened slightly before glaring at the person standing next to her. "What do you think you're doing her Silver Ranger?"

Zhane chuckled. "I have been here for the past three minutes, standing next to you. If I wanted, I could have taken you down without any trouble."

Astronema narrowed her eyes, her weapon still aimed at the Silver Ranger's throat. "You are at the mercy of my hands and you still laugh?"

Zhane smiled underneath his helmet. "I noticed that you were touching that locket a lot. Sentimental value?" He guessed.

Astronema rolled her eyes. "Nothing that concerns you." She coldly answered. "Didn't anyone teach you that invasion of privacy is a crime?"

"Karovan design."

"Excuse me?"

"I said it looks Karovan."

Astronema tilted her head slightly, still confused on why the Silver Ranger was standing here instead of helping out with the battle. Before she could say another word, he left her side and joined the battle.

"Karovan huh?" Astronema repeated slowly. She was going to do research once she returned back to the Dark Fortress.

- - -

"Did we get him?" Cassie asked but before anyone could answer, a beam shot out from the dust, catching the rangers by surprise. Several more beams shot out, hitting the rangers square on the chest.

They flipped over and landed on their backs, demorphed and groaning from the pain. "It looks like he got us." TJ pointed out as he pulled himself up.

Before Darkliptor could go any further, Zhane ran forward, beams shooting from his Silverizer. "Stop right there Darkliptor."

The monster paid him no attention and took a step forward. Zhane fired a few more shots, succeeding in drawing Darkliptor's attention.

"Oh crap." Zhane narrowly jumped out of the way from a charging Darkliptor. Before he could land back on the ground, Darkliptor was already behind him, his weapon aimed to strike.

"Zhane! Behind you!" His teammates shouted, warning him of the danger but he didn't need them to tell him. He already knew. His battle instincts were tingling like crazy, warning him.

His mind were shouting for him to move but his body wasn't responding. It was as if he was suspended in jello. His eyes saw the movements from the sword slowly coming towards him and his hands were still by his side.

'_Why must all the bad things happen to good people?'_ Zhane silently cried out. Life wasn't fair. He hasn't done anything wrong. A harmless joke over here, some mild pranks over there. Jokes were his life. He lived for it. It wasn't his fault no one seemed to enjoy it.

God can be so cruel sometimes.

Darkliptor had his eyes opened, anticipation and adrenaline rushing through his veins. Today would finally be the day that he rids the world of the Power Rangers!

Before the sword connected, a concentrated beam of power flew towards them, resulting in a huge explosion.

Darkliptor barely managed to avoid it at the last minute but not without damage. Zhane, on the other hand, was thrown backwards by the blast.

"Not again…" He yelled as he flew backwards and landed on his back. He pulled himself up, looking around angrily for the person who did that.

"Who-"

"WHO DARES FIRE AT DARKLIPTOR?" Darkliptor screamed out, interrupting Zhane.

Silence engulfed the area, no one dared to speak up. Darkliptor looked all around, sneering at the rangers. "I BET IT WAS ONE OF YOU!" He charged straight ahead but before he could reach them, another blast occurred, this time causing the combined generals to fly backwards.

"Who… do you think… is doing this?" Ashley asked. She could feel her heart racing, as if it was trying to convey a message to her.

Darkliptor snarled as he got back up slowly, using his sword as leverage. "Coward. Come out and fight me!"

Before he could continue with his threat, a third blast exploded on his chest, sending him crashing into Astronema. The princess of evil had a disgusted look on her face when Darkliptor separated back into their original forms.

"Who dares attack Astronema, the princess of evil?" she angrily said.

A figure slowly walked out from the distance, revealing itself to the crowd. "You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you _Astronema?_"

Astronema had a genuine surprised look on her face. "You're suppose to be dead... How did you survive…?"

"You just can't keep a good soldier down."

"An-Andros…" Ashley softly whispered out. She held her hands close to her mouth, unable to believe that it was really him standing there. "Is it really you?"

Andros held his new weapons tightly in his hands. He couldn't believe the power this baby had. The Delta Cannon. A fine piece of work. He felt like a kid who got a present on his birthday. "I'm going to destroy you Astronema."

"You win this round but I'll be back." Astronema said firmly. She snapped her fingers and disappeared along with her generals.

Andros lowered the weapon to his side, his gaze lingering towards the fallen rangers. His eyes went through each one individually, until it stopped on a particular someone. It pained him to see her like this but she made it clear.

She wanted nothing to do with him. To her, he was a monster.

She told him to get away from her and he will comply because he lived to follow orders.

Just as he was turning around, he felt someone latching on to his wrist. The familiar touch that he longed for but could not have. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Ashley…" He quietly whispered.

"Don't go…" Her words also came like a whisper. "I…" Ashley felt herself being at a loss of words. "Andros… I… I'm sorry..."

* * *

Author's Note: It's only natural that a student becomes preoccuiped by school work during this year and I'm no exception. I just want to say that the story is nearing the final stages of completion. Only a few more chapters to go. 


	15. Reflection: Chapter 4

So it's been a long time since my last update and I know, we all need something to read so I decided to get off my lazy behind and produce, in my opinion, a good chapter. I don't know what inspired me to do this chapter this way but whatever it was, I'm glad I did.

To everyone reading the story, to the people leaving reviews. Thank you.

* * *

"I'm sorry…"

Two words…

One meaning…

It was all she could say. She could have poured out her feelings, her worries and her regrets but she knew it wouldn't have mattered.

This was all that she could say…

- - -

With his face hidden behind his helmet, Andros couldn't force himself to look away.

He tried ignoring her words. She already done enough but why was she apologizing for something that she truly wanted?

Through his eyes, the girl was silently pleading with him. Her eyes were the window to her soul and he could truly see everything but is it worth it in the end? 

"Let go." The words coldly escaped his lips as he pulled his arm away from Ashley.

He made up his decision. This was his mission and he will see through it to the end. It was his burden alone to carry.

"No." He heard her firmly whisper back.

Ashley gripped his hand tighter when she felt him pulling away. She wouldn't let this chance pass by her again. Throughout her entire life, everything she ever got, it was all based on her beauty alone and she hated that. She didn't want other people to perceive her as a spoiled daddy's girl.

That wasn't the real Ashley Hammond. She wanted a chance to prove to everyone that she was different. She wanted to prove that she wasn't just all beauty but with brains as well.

"Listen to me Andros…"

"What is there to listen to? I'm sure you already said enough." 

His words hit her like a block of ice, freezing her in place. How she wanted to take back the words that she said to him that day but it was too late. The damage was already done. The only thing she could do now is to repair and hopefully, fix the damage.

"I…" I was scared. I was hurt. I felt betrayed. Those were the things she wanted to say but she couldn't even look him in the eye anymore. She could feel his eyes just looking at her, waiting for her to continue.

She been through so many battles, so many experiences but when it came to explaining her feelings to a certain Red Ranger, she was a coward.

"I have other matters to attend to." Andros said as he started walking away. Ashley ran after him, determined to make the stubborn soldier listen.

"We're going to talk Andros." Ashley firmly said as she grabbed the morpher on her arms and randomly pushed several buttons. 

Her actions caught the soldier off guard and without warning, the two teleported from the area to an unknown destination.

- - -

"What was that pitiful performance?" Astronema yelled. "I have seen better performances with my foot soldiers. You two couldn't even destroy the Rangers. What happened to the combined powers of my two greatest generals? Did you not promise to see to it yourselves that you would personally destroy them?"

She was pissed off and her entire army knew it. Can one Ranger make that much of a difference? She wondered. Can one Ranger mean the difference between winning and losing? 

The Red Ranger, MS-201; he was no fool. That much was for certain.

"Astronema!" A loud voice bellowed.

The Princess of Evil slowly turned around; knowing whom the voice belonged to. "Dark Specter. My lord…"

"Spare me of your excuses. Is everything ready for my coming?" The Monarch asked.

"We ran into some slight difficulties… namely the Red Ranger…" Astronema replied. "If we can destroy him, we can destroy the Rangers. That much is certain."

"Leave him to me. I will deal with the legendary soldier from the legion personally."

"Yes my lord." Astronema bowed. "When should we be expecting you?"

"In a month's time…"

- - -

"What did you do?" Andros angrily asked.

"Shut up and listen to me Andros!" Ashley said as she pushed Andros against a tree.

They were no longer at their previous destination. They were now somewhere surrounded by trees, probably in a forest area by Angel Grove.

Andros demorphed and folded his arms against his chest, waiting for Ashley to continue. "You have my… undivided attention."

Without warning, Andros found his cheek stinging as his eyes widened at what happened. He narrowed his eyes and was about to speak when Ashley reached out and cupped his check with her hand.

"You're a selfish person Andros. Did you know that?" The tone of her voice slowly softened.

This was completely unexpected as Andros found himself speechless.

"Did you think that I didn't care about you?" Her thumb slowly caressing his cheek. "You mean the world to me and it saddened me that I had to find out the truth not from you but from your former teammate."

"But -" 

Ashley shook her head, telling him not to interrupt. "I was angry at you Andros. Not because of what you did but because you didn't tell me anything. I know you had a rough childhood growing up and our customs might be strange for you but I care Andros. I care about you."

She looked into his eyes, finding the cold aura around him slowly disappearing. "When I found out that you were still on the spaceship when it exploded, I was devastated Andros. If you weren't with me, nothing mattered anymore. Life was empty without you. It was that moment that I truly realized that you were everything to me…"

Tears began to form in her eyes as she blinked a couple of times, letting it hit the ground. She chuckled to herself as she felt the wet teardrops hitting her cheeks. "Haha… You must think I'm weird…"

"Nope."

Ashley suddenly felt herself being drawn to him, feeling his arms around her waist as he pulled her into a hug. "I don't think you're weird. I don't think you're weak. I think you're a great person Ashley."

Just hearing him talk brought a small smile to her face. The effects he had on her were just something else. It was this instance that she realized that he was the one for her.

"Andros… I just want to say that I'm…"

Before Ashley had a chance to apologize, Andros silenced her with a kiss. It was unexpected but at the same time, it was like heaven. She felt her body responding to his kiss as her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She could feel her worries slowly disappearing and her dreams finally coming true.

Andros didn't know what compelled him to kiss her but he was glad he did. From the moment his lips touched hers, he felt a connection between them. For the first time in his life, he felt that his life now had some meaning to it.

The two finally broke apart for air after kissing for two minutes. Andros was gently holding her close, breathing in her scent while Ashley was fighting to keep her blush down. She was just comfortable resting her head against his shoulders and feeling the rhythmic beat of his heart. She was in heaven, wishing that she could stay like this forever.

"I never blamed you for anything Ashley." The sound of his voice shaking her out of her daydream. As she slowly tilted her head up, a smile appeared on her face when she noticed the smile on the soldier's face.

"You have a pretty smile." Ashley said, giggling as she touched his face gently. 

Andros made a weird face as he tried to hide his smile. "No I don't."

"You should smile more often." Ashley affectionately replied.

"Whatever." 

She giggled once more. She snuggled deeper into Andros's embrace, causing the soldier to lose his balance and fall to the ground. "Look at what you did!" She said, trying to sound mad but failed as giggles erupted from her.

Andros laughed as he pulled Ashley closer as they found a comfortable position against the tree. "So I heard that you like me." He asked in a teasingly voice.

"Looks like you heard right Mr. Soldier." She responded in an equally teasing tone. "Who knew soldiers knew how to treat a girl?"

"We know a lot more than that." Andros said capturing her lips in a blissful kiss once more.

* * *

What an unexpected development. Should I throw in their first date? Do you guys want some fluff?


	16. Reflection: Chapter 5

Here you go, the next chapter. It was fun writing this chapter. Thanks for the reviews guys.

I really tried with this romance thing. Don't know how well that worked out.

* * *

"Come on Andros. Stop fidgeting around with the blindfold and follow my instructions." Ashley said, her words softly guiding her date around. "Now walk 10 more paces to your right soldier."

Andros grunted some reply as he slowly waved his arms around; making sure that he was avoiding any unexpected obstacles. "I don't know about this anymore Ashley…"

She released a small giggle as she watched her boyfriend cautiously tread cross the field. This was the first time in months that she truly seen the man happy. Aside from his given duties and his serious attitude, this was probably the only time where he could enjoy life without worries. He would be free from the chains that bind his soul to the world.

Free from his superiors.

Free from his mission.

Free from the world.

"Am I there yet Ashley?" Andros called out.

"Nope." Ashley smiled. "Not yet." She slowly walked over to where he was, holding her hands behind her back. She purposely picked a remote area outside the city, a nice and quiet place, where they wouldn't be disturbed. This was their time alone and she wanted to cherish every moment of it.

"Are we in a rush to go somewhere Andros?" Ashley coyly asked, her hand cupping his cheek gently.

Andros shook his head with a small smile on his face. "Whenever I'm with you, I have all the time in the world." The soldier could feel his girlfriend's hand tracing circles on his cheeks. It was just a small gesture but it made him happy. If he could give her the world in the palm of his hands, he would have done it a million times over.

"Oh you…" Ashley found herself smiling as she rested her head against his chest.

"Hey… Can I take this ridiculous blindfold off me now?"

"I think I made you wait long enough…" Ashley stepped back as she removed the blindfolds from her boyfriend's face. When she removed the cloth, she found a pair of strong brown eyes staring straight right back at her and a small blush appeared over her cheeks. "Hey there stranger…"

"Hey yourself…" Andros responded. He pressed his forehead against hers and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, capturing her lips in a blissful kiss. Andros broke away from the kiss as he stared lovingly into her brown orbs, a smile on his face.

"So where are we? Did you take me out here to abduct me?" Andros asked, his eyes carefully going over the area. Even though Ashley constantly reminded him that this was a date and not a mission, old habits were hard to die.

"Abduct you? Who would want to abduct you?"

Andros laughed. "Well, there were these people from my last mission… I heard they were still angry about me destroying their home." He watched as her eyes widened as she listened to his every word. "I'm only kidding Ashley…"

Ashley crossed her arms over her chest, "Well too bad for them, no one is taking you away from me."

"I wouldn't leave you even if it kills me." He softly responded, pulling her into a tight embrace. "So are you going to tell me why we're on some kind of farm?"

"I thought it would be nice to have a picnic."

"When the sun is setting?"

"Hey you shush." Ashley lightly slapped his arms. "Excuse me for being the romantic one here."

"Soldier remember?"

A quick roll of the eyes and she dragged him down into a soft red blanket. Making sure that he didn't spill the entire contents of her picnic basket, she carefully guided him to sit down at once spot before positioning herself across next to him.

"I hope you're hungry because I packed a lot of food…" Ashley said, digging into the contents of her picnic basket. She took out some chicken sandwiches and potato salad.

"Everything looks great Ashley. Thank you."

Ashley looked up and pulled her hair back, taking a good look at her soldier boyfriend. Even though the man had been in the military most of his life, he had some great fashion sense. Who would have thought a simple red and white stripped polo would make him look so attractive.

"You know, you don't look bad yourself."

Ashley's eyes quickly looked up to find her boyfriend smirking at her. Uh oh. She was busted. "Uh… I was…" She tried to formulate several words in her head, hoping that it would make much better sense than 'I was staring at your gorgeous body.'

"I…was… wondering… how your sandwich tasted."

"My sandwich was great. If your skills in the kitchen matched the way you dressed, you would have been a double threat." Andros took another bite into his sandwich but not before missing the blushing look over Ashley's face.

He wasn't joking either. Aside from how great this sandwich tasted, she was looking really good. Wearing a simple yellow sundress, it matched her complexion nicely.

Ashley tore her eyes away from her boyfriend and picked up her own sandwich. "I know it's a bit weird to have a date here but what can I say? I like the area."

Andros chuckled, "Ashley, I didn't even complain so stop worrying. To be honest, I've never been on a farm before. In fact, it's actually pretty nice. A change of scenery is nice from time to time."

The two continued to talk, enjoying their date immensely. Andros couldn't remember a time where he had this much fun in his life while Ashley couldn't remember a time where she was this happy. From a stranger's perspective, it almost looks like if they were made for each other…

Soul mates…

They say that soul mates are rare in this world. Nine out of ten times, people date someone else other than their soul mates but for these two, it looked like they were actually destined for each other. A troubled soldier and a beautiful girl, two different parts of the puzzle but together, they complete each other.

The discussion started out with Andros telling her of his various missions and ended up with Ashley telling him about the hassle of getting Cassie out of her apartment. "I'm telling you Andros, that girl needs to find herself a date."

"Cassie's the… other girl right?" Andros asked. He wasn't quite sure who was who exactly but it didn't stop him from remembering faces.

"Yup. She's my best friend and we have been through so many things. Do you have anyone like that Andros?"

The soldier leaned back and sighed, looking up at the starry night sky. "Just once before… I was stupid and foolish to believe that I was able to have any friends. We were taught to rely solely on ourselves, that friends were considered to be a useless tool. They pointed out to us that the people standing next to us would be dead in future battles so there wasn't any point in getting to know them."

Andros suddenly felt a warm touch on his hand and found Ashley right next to him, her head resting against his shoulders. "So what happened to your friend?"

"I killed him… He sold us out to the enemy and I was given the order to eliminate him for treason..."

"Ashley?" Andros asked, nudging her softly with his free hand. "I think it's time we go back."

Ashley shook her head. "No, not yet. There's still one more place that I want to show you."

"To show me?" Andros tilted his head, an amused look on his face. "It's dark and even I cannot bring the sun back out for you." He joked.

Ashley giggled, "No silly. Just trust me okay?"

The soldier smirked at her pouting look, nodding his head in agreement. "Alright. Show me then."

Ashley smiled as she pulled on her boyfriend's hand, dragging him away from their picnic site and into an area filled with trees. They walked for about five minutes before Ashley stopped and pointed towards a grove of trees. "We're here."

Andros squinted his eyes, trying to see what his girlfriend was seeing. "Trees?"

"Not just any trees. They're apple trees. Come on let's go."

She broke into a run, dragging Andros with her. The soldier heard the sound of her bubbly laughter and he couldn't help but to be caught in it. The two laughed as they ran towards the biggest tree in the grove, stopping once they reached the base.

Ashley reached up and picked an apple off a branch, "These are Granny Smith Apples, try one Andros."

The soldier awkwardly stepped back, looking at his girlfriend strangely. "You want me to eat that?"

"Yup." She responded.

"Just like that? I don't know what that thing's been through." Before he could complain some more, she shoved it right into his mouth. With no other option left, he took a bite out of the apple. His eyes widened as soon as the nectar from the fruit hit his tongue. Swallowing the first bite, he quickly followed up with another and another.

"This is pretty good."

"See! I told you it wasn't poison or anything." She quickly slapped his arm before he could open his mouth again, knowing what he was going to say. "No, it's not going to kill you from the inside either. Honestly Andros, not everything here is going to hurt you."

Andros shrugged his shoulders and jumped up on the tree. Ashley watched him curiously, wondering where he was going. "Hold on, I see something up there." He reached up and pulled on a strong branch before going up.

"Be careful Andros." Ashley yelled as he disappeared from her sight. She heard some rustling of some trees and several apples dropped to the ground. She held her breath as she waited. "Are you done yet?"

"I'm coming down now." The soldier yelled as he jumped to the ground. He smiled as he looked up at his girlfriend. "I got something for you."

"Yeah? What could you possibly get for me that you would risk your life for?"

"The mother of all apples." Andros responded. He pulled out a golden color apple from his back and showed her. "I thought we could share this apple together."

"After all that hard work that you did, how could we not?" Ashley teasing said. "Oh, you're so dirty now."

"That's okay. I don't mind. I feel more comfortable this way."

Ashley wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Oh no you don't. When we get back, you're going to take a nice long shower mister."

"Yes mother." Andros playfully responded. He dusted off his pants several times until he was satisfied with his task. "Happy?"

"Very." Ashley walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him for a deep kiss.

"You know… I'm still dirty…" She heard him mutter in between breaths.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way…"

* * *

I thought it was somewhat OOC, maybe that's just me.


	17. Reflection: Chapter 6

To all my readers and reviewers... Thank you for supporting me all the way. You guys are the best. Here's the latest addition to the story. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

"Do you understand MS-201? The time is now. This is your only opportunity."

"I understand…" Andros responded.

"Should you fail, the fate of the world rests on your shoulders."

Andros merely nodded, knowing the value of his mission. At this point, there was nothing he could do. This would truly be his last mission either way…

- - -

"What's so important that you had to call me here Zhane?" Ashley asked after she had teleported into the Command Center. "I was in a middle of something you know."

"Sorry Ash but this is probably more important." Zhane replied as his back was still facing her. His fingers quickly typed on the keyboard, pulling up several things onto the viewing globe.

"Yeah Zhane, Ashley had an important dateeee later tonight." Cassie teased. "With her prince charming."

"You jealous Cassie?" Ashley asked as she looped her arms around Cassie's. "If you want, you could ask TJ out and we can double."

Zhane sighed as he shook his head. "You girls and your dates."

The girls giggled as they walked up to Zhane. "Don't worry, we didn't forget about you oh fearless leader. We have someone perfect in mind for you."

"Never mind that. Take a look. I have been monitoring the astronomical energy in space and something's big is moving towards Earth at a fast rate. By my calculations, whatever this thing is, it should be here in three to five days."

"Do you think Astronema is behind this?"

"I wouldn't put it behind us Cassie. I sent TJ and Carlos out to investigate the readings. Whatever this thing is, we have to be ready."

"Just call them back, He's already here."

Zhane quickly turned around and whipped out his Astro Blaster, pointing it at intruder. "Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack." Recognizing who the man was, he put the gun back down and sighed. "Why can't you just use the door like the rest of us?"

"Andros!" The girls greeted as the soldier walked up to join them. Cassie gave him a small wave while Ashley gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

His relationship with Ashley had been going on for a month now and he enjoyed every minute of it. She acted like his beacon of light, shining through the darkness in his heart. He was learning new things everyday and experiencing things that he never would have dreamed of.

Horseback riding, picnics, dinners and movie dates. Those were just a few of the things that he learned since his time on Earth. At first, he was defensive about exposing himself like that in public but that soon changed. Ashley had taught him the better things in life and most importantly, how to live it.

Her friends on the other hand, were slowly getting used to him as he was slowly getting used to working in a group. At first, they weren't reluctant of accepting him but Cassie was the first to accept him for who he was and the rest soon followed.

Zhane was a decent person, he will admit. Aside from being their unofficial leader, he was someone who Andros could count on in battle. Their fighting styles were similar but workable.

TJ, the Blue Ranger wasn't so bad unlike the other guy Carlos. It was probably because of their past encounters. Knocking them out when he was in the hospital wasn't exactly the best thing Andros could have done.

However, as time went on, he proved his worth over and over again, saving them in battles and sharing information about this age old war that has been going on. He wouldn't admit it but he was actually warming up to the idea of working in a team. It felt good to have people who supported you.

It pained him greatly that he wasn't here today on a social visit. There was a reason why he came here today. Earlier in the day, he had received an important transmission from his superiors. They would have never contacted him unless it was something of utmost importance.

"Hey… Listen…" Andros began. "There's something I need to tell you…"

"What is it?" Ashley asked. She looked up and saw something that she never expected to see in her boyfriend's eyes. Those confident brown orbs that she loved were replaced with fear. Fear and sadness…

"That thing… is Dark Specter, the Monarch of Evil…"

"Dark Specter? So he's finally coming here?" This time Zhane asked, he pulled up the schematics of the data, highlighting a huge blob of dark matter. "So this is Dark Specter?"

Andros only nodded. "The real battle begins when he arrives here in two days.

"Two days? How can you be certain?"

"My superiors are never wrong about their information Zhane. Trust me on this."

"So what do we do? There's not enough time to move everyone to safety."

"We?" Andros chuckled sadly. "I'm afraid there's no we in this battle."

"What are you saying Andros?" Ashley urgently asked. She pulled on his arm, forcing him to look at her. "You're going off alone aren't you?"

"You're battle is here on Earth, a fight for your home. Mine resides in space. Dark Specter cannot step foot on this planet so he'll send forth his personal army."

"But why Andros? You don't have to go off alone. One of us should go with you or better yet, I will go with you!"

Andros smiled gently at his girlfriend, speaking things without thinking it through first. "Ashley… your fight is with your friends. Dark Specter is my responsibility." The soldier titled his head to the side a little, "Don't give me that look Ashley… A sad look on your face doesn't suit you at all. You're too beautiful to be sad."

"I won't let you go!" Ashley cried out as she engulfed him in a tight hug. Andros sadly smiled and returned the hug, knowing that it was probably the last time he would see her.

"I just want to let you know that for the past month, I have never regretted anything. I just wish it wasn't like this but we each have our destinies and this is mine."

"ANDROS!" Ashley yelled out. "Don't go!"

It took everything that Andros had to break through the embrace and gently placing a light kiss on her forehead. "It'll be fine. I'll come back."

Just hearing those words, Ashley dropped to the floor, her legs unable to support her body weight. "Andros…" She whispered out.

"Take care of her guys. I'm leaving her safety in your hands."

Cassie nodded as she went over, giving her friend a warm hug, trying to calm the girl down. Andros walked over to Zhane and placed his hand over his shoulder. "If I find out that she's been hurt, I will literally come back and make you pay a thousand times over. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah…" Zhane managed to utter out.

"Good. You guys will defend Earth while I go face Dark Specter. Under no circumstances are you allowed to let Ashley follow me."

"Right…"

"Oh take this." Andros pulled something out from his pocket and dropped it into Zhane's hand. "The Delta Blaster. I think it will come in handy later."

"Thanks Andros… For everything."

"Don't worry, it's my job. And one more thing. If I don't make it back, tell Ashley that I love her." The soldier smiled as he said the last part. He took one last look towards Ashley, her tears dripping down her cheeks. Cassie was holding her tightly, preventing her from running to Andros.

It took everything to leave her and he would do everything to save her. Even if it meant sacrificing himself for the greater good. "Goodbye Ashley…" He silently mouthed as he disappeared for the last time.

"ANDROS!" Ashley cried out as she watched her boyfriend disappear in a bright flash of red light.

- - -

In an undisclosed location, Andros sat on a rock, a single tear dropped from his cheek. "Be safe Ashley…" He whispered.

He looked up at the sky, knowing what was waiting for him beyond the horizon. "I'm coming Dark Specter. To end this once and for all."

He pulled out his morpher and flipped it open, his hands lightly touching the buttons. "Red Ranger - Maximum Power!"

In a bright flash, the man who was once known as Andros disappeared, replaced by the soldier known as MS-201.

- - -

_Two Days Later_

"Are we ready?" Zhane energetically shouted. He wanted to keep everyone's hope up but seeing as this was it, everyone was nervous. He couldn't blame them, he was nervous himself.

The skies darkened as hours passed by. He didn't know for sure how long it would be until Dark Specter's army reached Earth but judging by the skies, it wouldn't be long now.

"Zhane… I want to help Andros…" Ashley said, walking up to him.

"Sorry Ashley but we need you here. We are a team and without you, the heart of the team, we would fall apart. Don't worry about Andros. He'll be fine…" Zhane answered back, also praying that the soldier was alright.

"Look, here they come!" TJ shouted as he pointed to the sky.

"ALRIGHT. EVERYONE LOOK SHARP. TOGETHER STAND." Zhane yelled out.

"OR TOGETHER WE FALL." His team shouted back.

- - -

Several miles above the Earth's atmosphere, a lone soldier stood there in space, his glaze fixated on the incoming black matter. This was it. He was about to face his destiny.

"Red Ranger…" A dark and violent voice proclaimed.

Andros didn't respond as he merely stood there, an emotionless expression hidden behind his helmet.

"I will destroy you."

"Dark Specter… The Monarch of all Evil… Today… You will be extinguished!"

* * *

Author's Note: As I'm typing up this chapter, I realized that the story's ending!! Just only two more chapters left. It's been a blast writing this story guys.

On another note, I came to the conclusion that I want to do another story based on the couple Ashley and Andros but it will be more like a series of one-shots. I don't know yet but that's what I'm learning towards since I like writing about that pairing. I will annouce my decision by the end of this story.


	18. Reflection: Chapter 7

Thanks to all the people that read and review. Here's the next chapter for you guys.

* * *

"Do you think you can stop me you foolish mortal? I am Dark Specter, the entity of all evil. I have conquered galaxies, destroyed worlds and killed many of your comrades. If they couldn't take me down, what makes you think you can?" The monarch darkly laughed. "You are just another insolent bug standing in my way. I will crush you!"

Throughout the entire time, Andros stood there, his eyes looking up and down at the gigantic size of Dark Specter. He could feel his left arm shaking slightly. Who could blame him? Seeing the monster up close is a lot different than reading the reports.

"For something so big, you're full of hot air." The soldier retorted.

"How dare you!" Dark Specter roared. He lunge his arm forward and took a swipe at Andros but the soldier saw it coming. He pulled his glider upward, avoiding the attack.

"My comrade's deaths were not in vain. I know you had trouble against them. Each and every one of them. Each time you fought someone from the Legion, you never left unscratched. My comrades provided me with valuable data and with that, I will take revenge for them and end your reign of evil… once and for all."

- - -

"Carlos!" TJ shouted from across the battlefield. "Behind you!"

Carlos ducked under an incoming swipe from a Quantron and retaliated with his own attack, destroying the enemy.

"This is endless!" The Black Ranger yelled back. He turned around just in time to sidestep an attack and jump upward into the air, landing on a rooftop.

It was just moments ago that the sky darkened. It was like judgment day, the end of the world type of scenario. The attack came suddenly and without warning. Just as the Rangers were standing there watching the sky turn dark, a swarm of spaceships erupted from the sky, dropping millions of Quantrons from the sky.

The robotic army quickly went to work, destroying everything they could find. Buildings, cars, the environment and especially the Rangers.

The team found themselves surrounded by the massive army and decided to split up into teams of two. TJ and Carlos went to one area, trying to defeat as many as they can. Cassie and Ashley took the high road, taking the fight to apartment rooftops. Zhane, the fearless leader, took on the army by himself. He didn't need a partner; he had something else that he could rely on. The Delta Blaster.

The Silver Ranger kept one eye on his weapon and one eye on a particular Yellow Ranger. Andros made him swore that he would protect her in his place and he wasn't about to let him down. If he lived that is.

"COME ON YOU MINDLESS ROBOTS!" Zhane over excitedly shouted. "COME AND GET ME."

His loud voice caught the attention of the girls, who was fighting nearby. They stopped fighting just for a second to see what their leader was planning.

"Has he lost it?" Cassie asked.

"I hope not…" Ashley answered.

The girls watched as Zhane swung the blaster around like a bat, taking out five Quantrons with each swing. As soon as Zhane was surrounded, the Silver Ranger pulled the Delta Blaster back and took aim, shooting a powerful quantum beam that eradicated most of the Quantrons standing near him.

"Now that's a weapon!" The girls heard their leader happily shouted. "I gotta get me one of these babies!"

"Boys…" The girls muttered out in unison as they rolled their eyes.

- - -

"My princess… It's time to make an appearance…" Ecliptor said, "You crush all hope that these earthlings have."

"That's right. Plunge them into despair and snatch away all hope." Darkonda evilly laughed. "The victory will be so much sweeter."

Astronema took one look at her two generals and sighed, "Alright, for victory!"

- - -

"Look at whose finally coming to join the battle." TJ tiredly said, pointing at the new arrival.

"Great… More trouble." Carlos grunted as he blasted two Quantrons away with his blaster.

"Hello Rangers…" Astronema's voice echoed through the sky. "I wish I can say that I haven't enjoyed all our encounters but this is the end. Quantrons! Crush them!"

The Princess of Evil looked on as the army began advancing towards the Rangers, swinging their weapon up and down. A small glimmer of humor appeared in her eyes. She couldn't help but find this situation ironic. In the past, Quantrons were no matched for the Rangers but when you increase the numbers to about a million; it was a pleasant sight to behold.

"It was fun Rangers…" She quietly whispered.

- - -

"Cassie!" Ashley shouted as she tried to make it to her friend but it was no use. Each time she knocked away a Quantron; two more would take its place. She watched helplessly as several Quantrons picked up the Pink Ranger and threw her off the roof.

"CASSIE!"

"ASHLEYYY!" Cassie yelled as she fell off from the roof. She closed her eyes and waited for her impending doom, her body connecting with the concrete but while she was counting the seconds, she was wondering what was taking her so long to hit the ground.

"When are you going to open your eyes?" Zhane chuckled as he held Cassie in his arms. "You're not exactly light you know."

"Zhane?" Cassie timidly asked. "I'm alive!" She happily exclaimed.

Zhane quickly released Cassie and summoned the Delta Blaster to his arms. He gripped the weapon tightly and stood in front of Cassie. "Stand back."

His finger felt the familiar trigger and he grinned. "Night's out Quantrons." A huge concentrated beam shot out from the cannon, destroying a huge wave of Quantrons.

"Ahhh!"

Cassie quickly looked up and saw Ashley being pushed to the edge. "JUMP ASHLEY!"

Zhane turned his attention to the rooftop and then took aim. Even though the Delta Blaster was a powerful weapon, it had a small flaw. It had a two second recharge period and that sucked. His eyes flickered between Ashley and the weapon. As soon as the weapon turned green, he took aim at the rooftop.

Zhane touched his communicator on his ear, "Jump Ashley."

As soon as Ashley heard the command, she jumped off and then a huge beam shot up from the ground, destroying any Quantrons that followed her.

"Find TJ and Carlos and then regroup." The Silver Ranger commanded. "We can't take them like this.

- - -

"Stand still you insolent bug!"

Andros wasn't going to listen to that order. The soldier outmaneuvered the Monarch with every attack, continuously firing his blaster. At this moment, he wasn't focused on destroying him. No… he was focused on finding a weak point and then exploiting it but it was taking way too long.

All he was doing is irritating Dark Specter and the angrier he got, the more power he was focusing into his attack. Even though the attack wasn't hitting him, the force behind it was enough to knock him off his glider. It took everything he had to just stay on it.

Andros growled in frustration as his blaster was only doing minimum damage. He wanted more and he now regretted giving his Delta Blaster away to the Silver Ranger. The soldier stopped his futile attack and put away his blaster, now summoning his Spiral Saber.

"No more games!" The soldier said as he leaned forward, the glider following his every thought.

"You dare face me like this Red Ranger? How very Foolish!"

Andros leaped off his glider and landed on Dark Specter's arm. He lifted the sword above his head and with everything he had, he slammed it downward, piercing the hard darken skin of Dark Specter.

"ARGHH!"

The soldier yanked the sword out and ran up the arm, taking advantage of this moment. As soon as he got close enough to the monster's face, Dark Specter's eyes began glowing and beams soon shot out.

Seeing that unexpectedly caught Andros off guard as he fell off the giant, his glider saving him. As Andros pushed himself up, he glared through his helmet at the monarch, rethinking his plan.

- - -

"How are you guys holding up?" Zhane asked, his back leaning against a broken down wall.

He heard some grunted replies from the guys and chuckled. "Yeah. I know the feeling."

It was several hours after the fight and night had risen. The Quantrons were still searching high and low for them but it looked like they were giving up. They had fought a great battle but the war wasn't over. It was far from it. Tomorrow would be a repeat of today and the next would be as well… until Dark Specter was beaten.

"Get some rest guys; we'll need all the energy we can get if we are planning on defeating Dark Specter and his army."

Ashley lightly touched his arm and looked up at him, "Zhane… I'm really worried about Andros… I can just feel it."

"Andros is fine Ashley. Don't worry about him so much…"

"But what if he's hurt out there Zhane. While we're being hurt here on Earth, He's fighting Dark Specter, the Monarch of Evil. If he's hurt out there, he's going to die out there!"

Zhane sadly understood her logic but he couldn't let her go. He made a promise to keep her safe. "He wouldn't want you to go out there…" He quietly said.

"What?"

"Before he left… He made me promise to watch over you. He doesn't want you to get hurt. Don't make me break the man's promise Ashley…"

After hearing Zhane's testimony, she quietly walked away, wanting some room for herself. She looked up into the night sky and even though it wasn't clear, she felt like she had to stare into it.

"Andros… Be safe and just come home to me…"

* * *

Author's Note: Just one more chapter guys! Next week, we find out how this all ends and if Andros even survives the fight. Until then!


	19. Reflection: Chapter 8

So here's the final chapter of The Path He Took. It's been a long ride and I'm glad that I had the chance to actually write a story like this. I like to thank all the people who stuck with me all the way. You guys are the best.

* * *

For what it looks like to be an eternity, it was only three hours. The Rangers took advantage of the darkness, hiding underground and catching a few hours of sleep. As soon as morning rang, the battle for Earth continued, fighting until the last breath of air has completely left their bodies, no matter how it leaves...

There was a saying that once said… _'When it all seemed hopeless, a miracle will occur'_.

_Morning_

Zhane stood in front of his team, his determined gaze fixated on the robotic army. Both sides stood there, waiting for a signal, something to happen to start the fight once more.

"What do we do now?" Zhane heard Carlos asked. He shook his head and replied, "We settle this once and for all."

Zhane took a step forward and when he heard the other rangers following him; he held his arms out, stopping them. "Leave this to me."

The Silver Ranger continued forward, alone into the face of evil. The Quantrons stared at the human curiously, wondering what trickery he was planning. They raised their weapons in defense but held out on firing. They were going to wait and see what the human was going to do. Even though they were merely drones, they could also foresee the outcome of this battle.

Zhane swallowed his fear as he walked towards enemy alone. The very sight of hundreds of Quantrons startled him slightly but he cannot back down now. When he was in the middle of the battlefield, he stopped and grinned.

"ASTRONEMA, PRINCESS OF EVIL. I AM ZHANE, THE SILVER RANGER. I HEREBY ISSUE YOU A CHALLENGE. WINNER TAKES ALL. IF YOU ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE COME DOWN HERE!"

When Zhane finished his speech, a thunderous spark hit the rooftop, signaling that his words have been heard and accepted.

"Silver Ranger… I accept your challenge." Astronema held her scepter firmly, her generals standing behind her. "What are your conditions?"

Zhane looked up and a huge smile appeared on his face. "It's simple Astronema. I'm asking for a fight between you and me. If you win, we'll surrender but if I win, you will pack up and leave. How does that sound?"

Astronema remained quiet, debating over the choices. Ecliptor took this chance and stepped forward, "Are you thinking of trusting his human my princess?"

"Do you doubt my abilities Ecliptor?" Astronema angrily shot back.

"Not at all my princess but what if we change the conditions a little bit. Instead of you wasting your energy on him, let us fight."

Astronema looked back between the stoic Ecliptor and the battle hungry Darkonda and sighed. "Destroy them."

The two generals smirked as they ran off the rooftops, jumping down and landing in front of Zhane. "Welcome Silver Ranger." The generals greeted.

"Silver Ranger!" Astronema's voice boomed over the area. "I swear upon my title as the Princess of Evil that if you beat my champion, we will leave this place in peace."

"Who is your champion? Ecliptor or Darkonda?"

"Neither of them will face you Silver Ranger… my champion will be Darkliptor!"

The two general grinned menacingly as they combined forces. Zhane paled at the new enemy standing in front of him. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Quantrons forming a circular barrier around him and Darkliptor.

"Go Zhane!" He heard his teammates cheering him on. Unable to back down now, Zhane flipped open his morpher and dialed the access code, transforming into the Silver Ranger.

"It's time we settle this once and for all Darkliptor. Monster to Man!"

The malicious monster smirked, "I couldn't ask for better way Silver Ranger..." Darkliptor ran forward, swinging his dual swords around.

Zhane hesitated before pulling out his own blade. Holding on to it tightly, he met the attack head on, determined to win.

- - -

The battle in space was much different from the one on Earth. In this zero gravity atmosphere, the fight required more concentration and more power. The battle between the ultimate evil and good continued for hours without stopping. Broken parts of asteroids laid scattered over the area, allowing Andros to briefly hide and rethink his plan. So far, he threw everything he had against Dark Specter, his weapons and even martial arts but that only had little results.

The only thing that he found to be effective against Dark Specter was piercing him with his weapons but that only provoked him even more.

"COME OUT INSECT!"

Andros could hear the mighty bellows from Dark Specter and continued to hide, carefully deciding his next move.

He could feel his own body giving up on him, the long hours of battle finally taking effect. Not even during his soldier days had he been this tired but he can't give up here. Everything was depending on him. He had to make sure that future generations would not have to deal with this monster. He would end it once and for all.

Peeking around the corner, he could see the giant monster rampaging through space, destroying the asteroids. It would only be a matter of time before he was discovered.

- - -

"Ooof." Zhane grunted as he landed on his back. The sounds of swords coming straight down at him forced him to roll sideways, barely missing the strikes. The Silver Ranger flipped back up and jumped over Darkliptor, allowing himself time to reorganize his plan of attack.

"Come here puny ranger!" Darkliptor yelled out as he charged up his swords. "Double Mirage Barrage!"

In Zhane's eyes, he saw six different swords coming at him and dodged the first two. Just as he was about to get hit with the third one, it went right through him. He turned his head and watched the sword disappeared but that was a mistake.

The remaining three swords came and slashed him across the chest, sending him to the ground. Darkliptor jumped over and slammed his foot on Zhane's chest.

"Meet your doom Silver Ranger!"

"No… In fact… I like you to meet your doom!" Zhane retorted as he shoved the monster's foot away. Pulling himself up, Zhane held his hand in the form of a circle near his chest and concentrated. "DELTA BLASTER!"

Darkliptor narrowed his eyes as he sneered in disgust. "I'm going to tear that toy of yours apart…"

"FIRE!"

What Darkliptor didn't know about this weapon was that it was specially designed for this war. Designed by the legion to eliminate all possible threats and when placed in expert hands, it will defeat even the mightiest of creatures.

Pain exploded from the monster's chest as it was sent spiraling backwards, landing face first onto the ground.

"Boom…" Zhane answered, a smirk on his face.

"Ranger…" The monster growled out. I'll destroy you!"

Darkliptor launched himself from the ground and attached himself to the Silver Ranger. "What can you do now?!"

Zhane swung his blaster around but found himself unable to shake the monster off him. He found no other way out but one…

"So it came down to this…"

"Huh?"

Using his free hand, Zhane flipped a hidden switch on the Delta Blaster, causing the weapon to glow slightly. Darkliptor saw the flashing lights on the weapon and knew that it was a warning. Just as he was about to get away, Zhane grabbed the monster, preventing it from fleeing.

"Don't run away now…"

"LET GO OF ME!" Darkliptor screamed. The lights were flashing faster and faster and the heat emitted from the weapon was growing hotter and hotter.

"We'll go out with a bang."

Zhane pulled the monster towards him and shoved the weapon on to the monster's chest. To the spectators watching the match, they could almost see fear written across it's eyes.

"…Boom…"

That was the last word that Darkliptor ever heard before the explosion consumed them both. The power behind the explosion wiped out many Quantrons that were forming the circular barrier.

"ZHANEEE!" The other rangers shouted as they rushed forward, anxiously searching for any sign of life. Digging through the rubble, a white glove shot up from the dirt and wiggled around slowly.

"There he is!" Cassie yelled. She rushed over to the hand and began pulling on it. "Pull!" She yelled as the other rangers followed her lead. Within moments, a battered and broken Silver Ranger stood there smiling and grinning like a fool.

"I won…"

"Yeah… you won." Cassie replied as she helped him up.

"Hardcore dude. Hardcore." Carlos commented as he stood next to his leader, supporting him on the other side.

"Astronema!" Zhane managed to yell out. "I WON!"

Astronema gritted her teeth as she acknowledged the victory. "I can see that…" She angrily spat out.

"You better keep your word."

"I will…"

Just before anyone else could say anything, the sky exploded into different colors… First came black then orange and finally red…

Astronema stood there, looking curiously at it until she felt something disappear from the back of her mind. "Dark Specter…?"

Zhane began laughing as he tossed his head back. "That fool actually defeated him. He actually did it Ashley!"

The other rangers began cheering except for Ashley, who stood there holding her hand near her heart. Something was wrong here. She could just feel it…

"ANDROS!" She shouted his name into the sky, hoping to send him a message.

Knowing where Ashley was going with her thought, Zhane instantly put his hand near his communicator and pressed tightly on it. "Andros. Come in. Do you hear me?"

Silence engulfed the group as they eagerly waited for a reply but when none came, Zhane repeated shouting into the communicator, hoping to receive something but only got static back.

"Zhane… He's gone…" TJ said as he put his hand on Zhane's shoulder.

At the end of the day when the war was finally over, no one felt like celebrating anymore. Even though they had won the war, they had lost something dear to each one of them.

A teammate…

a friend…

a brother…

and a lover…

* * *

Author's Note: So how was it? You must think I'm pretty evil if I was going to end it like this. Don't worry. An Epilogue will soon follow.

On a side note, I have decided to take on the Ars Amatoria's Ranger Romance challenge. I will be completing ALL of the themes listed so look forward to that. The couple that I decided to base it on will be Andros and Ashley. I figure those one shots will be fun to write.


	20. Reflection: Chapter 9

_It's been a long ride guys... Maybe not as long as it was for you but twenty chapters is a big landmark and for me, it marks the end of this story. It has been fun writing it. Just wanted to stay thanks to all the people who stuck with me all the way... Celeron, Stardreamer, PRISFAN, Anyabar and everyone else. Thank you._

_On a side note, The first chapter of my new story, Sundried Roses will be up in a few hours or so._

_Until then, Peace out._

_

* * *

_

_"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you"_

_- Christian Morganstern_

Ever since that day, nothing has been the same since. I can see it in their eyes, the small glimmer hidden behind their casual expressions... Even an event like that would change anyone's life, even mine…

As of today, it has been one month, five days, thirteen hours and thirty-five seconds since we won and since then, none of us has been the same.

Angel Grove slowly returned to normal, almost as if nothing happened but the day would be forever engraved into the history books. People continued with their daily lives, living each day like the rest and I, for one, do not blame them.

After experiencing the war, they should continue with their lives and not worry about when the next evil is coming. It's not their job to worry and it shouldn't be mine as well…

Every night, I sit out on the balcony, searching the stars for a sign. Waiting and praying that you're all right.

Did you know that they wanted to erect a statue in your honor? How ridiculous is that? You're not dead. I know your not.

They tried cheering me up, telling me that you wouldn't want to see me sad but I just couldn't be happy. I'm afraid that if I'm happy, I'll forget all about you. The memories that we once shared would fade away like scars of battle…

I know you wouldn't want me sad but I just can't help it. I don't want to forget you.

The team really respected you. Did you know that? The guys talk about you all the time, each retelling tales about your heroic deeds and yourself in general.

I envy them so much to be able to talk about you freely.

After the war, everyone went their separate ways but we still keep in contact. Carlos was the first one to leave our little group. His goal of being a professional soccer player finally paid off when a coach from Team USA spotted him in the park one day.

You're probably thinking that Carlos was overjoyed and I couldn't agree with you more. He took us all out for dinner that night, paying for everything. I haven't seen him this happy since he joined up as a Ranger.

Right now, he's probably over in some foreign country showing off his skills and we couldn't be more proud of him. Cassie even clipped out articles about him whenever she sees them in sport magazines. We're all just so proud of him.

After Carlos, Cassie and TJ finally decided to start dating. Can you imagine that? Those two. You probably couldn't but I can. They have been shooting each other flirty glances every other second and if they weren't dating by the end of the war, I would have gone crazy. I must admit, they're a good couple and their personalities match perfectly. The loud and hyperactive Cassie and the silent but strong TJ. It was like a match made in heaven.

They tried to get me to go out with them a couple of times but I only rejected them. Seeing them happy made me a bit jealous but I'm really happy for them. I just wish you were here…

Zhane… Well you remember Zhane right? I could give you a billion guesses on where he went but you would have given up at the first guess. What he did surprised all of us. None of us expected him to go off into space, traveling but that's not the surprise. He's traveling with Astronema, the former Princess of Evil.

It happened a day after the war, Zhane came up to us and smiled before saying that he was going off on a journey, searching for his home with a friend.

Of course, we were excited for him until he brought in his 'friend' in. Imagine the shock on our faces when Astronema came in but you wouldn't have been able to recognize her either way but then again, you soldiers have minds like a steel trap. She wasn't dressed in her war outfit, she was in regular clothes and she apologized for her actions. It took a while for us to get used to her but we did in the end.

Carlos was actually quite taken in by her. He kept calling her the prettiest princess of evil he ever seen. Men, can you believe them? One minute, he was trying to defeat her and the next, trying to ask her out on a date.

The moment she linked her arms with Zhane's squished all romantic hope for Carlos. For a split second, I could have sworn that tears were going to spill from his eyes but knowing Carlos, he was going to rebound really fast.

And me?

You probably heard about everyone but me. Well, I'm still in my apartment and nothing's changed there. I might have added some new furniture to liven the place up. I still remember you calling the place boring but when you finally see what I did with it, I'll make you take back those words!

Life for me has been the same, going out and having dinner with friends. I have also begun taking some classes at a local community college, hoping to get a degree in fashion. It's still pretty tough adjusting to a normal civilian lifestyle. I still sometimes feel the urge to just walk outside my class and wait for an alien attack.

You must think I'm silly but…

The sudden sound of a bell ringing knocked Ashley out of her thoughts. She sighed as she wrapped her blanket around her body as she slowly got up. "I was having a great time too…" She muttered.

Walking over to her door, she peeked into the eyehole and found a strange person standing outside her door.

"Can I help you?" Ashley asked.

"Um… Yeah." A muffled voice answered. "I'm searching for a person and I'm not quite sure if she still lives here or not."

Ashley slowly opened the door, her eyes taking a peek at the stranger. Whoever this man was, he was in a trench coat and a hat, covering his body up. "Is this person important to you?"

The man nodded his head. "She's very important to me… She was my first friend."

As Ashley continued listening to the man talk, she found herself more and more drawn to him. There was just something very familiar about him.

"In fact… I would go to the end of the galaxy and back for her."

'To the end of the galaxy and back for her.' What a strange way to phrase a sentence. Ashley thought.

"I would even fight another war if it meant being with her again…"

Slowly and slowly, Ashley found her eyes drawn to the man's face but it was covered by his hat. Even thought it was covered, she could still see bits and pieces of his face.

"I was hoping if you would know the name of an Ashley Hammond, the girl who showed me that there was more to life than just being a soldier."

At this point, Ashley flung the door open, her heart beating really fast. As her hands slowly went to lift the hat up, her eyes widened when she saw the man's face clearly.

"Andros…"

The soldier stood there with a grin on his face. "I told you that I would come back to you…"

"ANDROS!" Ashley happily shouted as she jumped into his arms, tears falling from her cheeks. "I missed you so much."

Andros laughed as he twirled the girl he loved around. "You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm here to stay if you want me here."

"I wouldn't have it any other way…" Ashley lowered her head and captured his lips in a blissful kiss.

At the end, Ashley found herself staring into the loving eyes that she grew so familiar with. "So are you here on leave or permanently staying here?"

"How does permanently sound to you?"

Ashley squealed with delight as Andros picked her up and carried her into the apartment, "I'm home."

"Yeah… You're finally home."

* * *

The End...?


End file.
